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WHY DIVERSITY PROGRAMS FAIL
Which Diversity Efforts Actually Succeed?
IN 829 MIDSIZE AND LARGE U.S. FIRMS, we analyzed how various diversity initiatives affected the proportion of women and minorities
in management. Here you can see which ones helped different groups gain ground—and which set them back, despite good intentions.
(No bar means we can’t say with statistical certainty if the program had any effect.)
Poor returns on the % Change over five years
usual programs White men
The three most popular White women
interventions made firms Black men
less diverse, not more, Mandatory diversity Grievance systems likewise Black women
Hispanic men
because managers resisted training for managers led Testing job applicants hurt reduced diversity pretty Hispanic women
women and minorities—but
strong-arming. to significant decreases for not because they perform much across the board. Asian men
Asian-Americans and black poorly. Hiring managers Though they’re meant to re-
women. don’t always test everyone form biased managers, they Asian women
(white men often get a often lead to retaliation.
pass) and don’t interpret
results consistently.
Programs that get
results
Companies do a better job
of increasing diversity when
they forgo the control tactics
and frame their efforts more
positively. The most effective Voluntary training doesn’t Self-managed teams Cross-training also in- College recruitment
get managers’ defenses up aren’t designed to improve creases managers’ exposure targeting women turns
programs spark engagement,
the way mandatory training diversity, but they help by to people from different recruiting managers into
increase contact among dif- does—and results in in- increasing contact between groups. Gains for some diversity champions, so
ferent groups, or draw on creases for several groups. groups, which are often groups appear to come at a it also helps boost the
concentrated in certain cost to Hispanic men. numbers for black and
people’s strong desire to
functions. Asian-American men.
look good to others.
