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Two weeks ago, the Tractor Supply Company announced it would axe its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) program.
It was hailed by conservative activists and groups that have been applying media pressure and legal challenges against pro-DEI corporations as a landmark victory. And to an extent, they’re right.
The anti-DEI movement, spearheaded by the likes of Elon Musk, Ron DeSantis, and Bill Ackman, has transformed over the past two years from social media sniping into sophisticated lobbying.
Lawmakers in over 30 states have introduced or passed anti-DEI bills and coupled with the fear of online pressure and even boycotts, this legal pressure is prompting many employers across the US to re-think their DEI approach.
At the same time, there is also optimism from the HR profession, with a Bridge Partners survey finding that 75% of US leaders plan to enhance their DEI programs in the next 24 months; while leading HR experts have called for a reimagination of DEI to better reflect the current needs and attitudes of the American workforce.
J&J shows the way to deal with the DEI noise
It’s a lot of noise to deal with. Many HR leaders would be forgiven for not knowing exactly what way to turn – to wave the white flag like Tractor Supply? To go on the offensive and attack those who oppose DEI? To keep quiet, bury their head in the sand, and hope the debate goes away?
Well, a fourth option is possible. Remain calm, continue investing in DEI, and crucially, provide a clear case of what it actually means within the business and how it helps everyone—whatever demographic group you are a part of, and whether you are an employee, manager, customer, or shareholder.
If you want an example of what this looks like in practice, pharmaceutical giant Johnson and Johnson are taking a pretty good stab at it. The company just released its 2023 DEI Impact Review, a comprehensive document that clearly articulates not just its vision of what DEI looks like within the organization, but also how it drives innovation for the benefit of its patients, customers, employees, and communities.
From the first page to the last, Johnson & Johnson continuously reiterates why DEI is so valuable to the business.
Making DEI a business imperative
It is not an isolated HR exercise. Instead, it is supported and delivered by all departments and all business leaders, including CEO Joaquin Duato, who highlights the benefits DEI has brought to its communities including closing the racial health gap and improving the quality of clinical trials.
The company has clear definitions of exactly what each component of DEI means, how each are delivered in practice, and how they measurably create better results for everyone – the kind of evidence that is difficult to argue with when education, rather than opposition, is required for those most staunchly opposed to DEI.
The report details progress against its core objectives but recognizes that individual stories of customers and stories are just as powerful as any metric. Take William Corley, for example, a military veteran turned program manager at Johnson & Johnson, who benefited from the company’s Hiring Our Heroes fellowship program.
“I thought my transition to a civilian career would be difficult and finding an organization that checks the boxes on so many things the Army provides would be hard to find. Along came Johnson and Johnson,” he says.
The report, and Johnson and Johnson's entire workforce, customer base, supply chain, and community, are littered with such stories about how its DEI policies and programs benefit everyone.
At a time when it can be tricky for many HR professionals to know what stance their company should take, Johnson & Johnson is an exemplary case study of how to ensure the personal and business case for DEI cannot be refuted.
“For more than 135 years, the values of diversity, equity and inclusion have been part of the culture at Johnson & Johnson and woven into how the company does business every day,” says Wanda Hope, Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer, Johnson & Johnson.
“For the company, DEI is a business imperative that helps Johnson & Johnson meet the needs of patients, providers and communities around the world.”
