Eighty percent of Fortune 500 companies explain their interest in diversity by justifying it in a way that benefits the company. The authors found that this approach makes underrepresented job candidates less interested in working with an organization. The business case for diversity sends a subtle yet impactful signal that organizations view employees from underrepresented groups as a means to an end and undermines DEI efforts before employers have the chance to interact with potential employees. The authors suggest that if organizations must justify their commitment to diversity, they should do so by making a fairness case, but that they should not make any case at all. It is not necessary for companies to explain why they believe in certain values. Why wouldn't diversity be treated the same?
Most organizations don't want to explain why they care about core values. Long explanations of the value of hiring a diverse workforce have become the norm in corporate America. A business case for diversity can be found on the website of AstraZeneca. Tenet's Code of Conduct states that it is the right thing to do because it is our culture.
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