No Stupid Questions

DEI does not influence hiring or firing. The right intentionally conflates DEI, which is creating an inclusive work environment, with affirmative action. The latter was a set of policies that required special consideration for marginalized groups when hiring, and was repealed by SCOTUS in 2023.

As a former corporate manager, I can say first hand that DEI has been a focus in respectable institutions for much longer than the term has existed. The best way to stagnate your business is to hire a bunch of like-minded people and make them all think and act alike.

They don't. There is no scheme. Nobody gets fired because they're a DEI. People get fired because of blatant racism.

The point of DEI is to overcome bias. If you are hiring, and you have a white guy and a woman of color, and the woman is a better choice, are you actually able to recognize that fact or will you be biased in favor of the white guy without even realizing it? And yes, the “without even realizing it” is literally the most important part, and the reason DEI programs/training are necessary.

So being “hired as a DEI” means you were hired for your qualifications despite being at a disadvantage due to social biases, and being “fired as a DEI” means you were likely the victim of overt discrimination.

a DEI

A diversity, equity and inclusion?

I'll not mince words here, using the acronym like this is purposeful with the intent to undermine the entire point of diversity, equity,and inclusion initiatives.

If that is not your intent, Don Dickle, then consider rephrasing and never using such a phrasing again.

Be sure to read and take seriously the comments here, OP. They are correct. The majority of the media you have consumed about “DEI” was intentional lies to make you believe oligarchs and billionaires were on your side against a constructed enemy.

That enemy isn’t real. The billionaires aren’t on your side. They just wanted to cultivate your anger for personal gain, and for many, unfortunately, that propagandizing was successful.

That's not actually how DEI works.

DEI initiatives provide training to help people in organizations make less biased decisions and be more respectful and inclusive of people from various backgrounds.

For example, instead of hiring someone from the boss's alma mater, they might hire someone from a HBC who is equally qualified and helps bring a different perspective. Or hire a native Spanish speaker for a bilingual position instead of someone who spent a year abroad in Barcelona.

I'm happy to show studies about why it is necessary to correct hiring biases, and how organizations benefit from the efforts.

Boogeyman "DEI" doesn't dictate anything. It's not a law, it's not a set of rules, literally nothing is required or enforced.

Spell it out:

Diversity
Equity
Inclusion

It's simply a way of thinking to try and consider everyone. Companies (in their endless pursuit for more and more profits) realized that minorities have different experiences and insight that literally benefit the organization by including and highlighting their voices. It was literally done by giant corporations for (mostly) selfish reasons, but they reversed-course when snowflakes decided they think it means a less-qualified brown person gets hired over them. Which (again: self-interest) doesn't happen.

DEI is aimed at broadening and diversifying the pool of qualified and skilled applicants. It does not affect hiring. That is racist misinformation.

“A DEI” is just a substitute so that the fascists can say the hard R in polite society.

A son of a rich man who is white = hard work and grit

Everyone else = DEI