'Merit-based' | Trump vs DEI: How will it impact workplaces, morale, and business strategy?

As Donald Trump returns to the Whitehouse, his administration has wasted no time taking a sledgehammer to the diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies championed during the Biden era. So, what next?

Within days, executive orders and directives were issued to halt federal DEI programs, placing officials on paid administrative leave and dismantling related offices. The orders not only target federal initiatives but are also aimed at influencing private sector practices through federal contractor compliance requirements.

The Trump administration’s actions are rooted in a commitment to what it describes as a “merit-based society.” He and his supporters argue that DEI initiatives undermine traditional “American values” of hard work and individual achievement, framing the policies as discriminatory and divisive.

His executive order explicitly condemns what he refers to as “identity-based spoils systems” and encourages private companies to follow suit in abandoning DEI efforts.