On DEI, Consumers Want Corporate America to Put Its Money Where Its Mouth Is

Poll after poll, including our own, continues to show that a majority of Americans support companies engaging in efforts to promote diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in the workplace.

Despite this, conservative activism against the practice has reached a fever pitch in recent months, forcing brands to reevaluate their DEI investments, which — for most — began in earnest following George Floyd’s murder in 2020. 

New Morning Consult data offers guidance for those brands looking to implement, maintain or grow DEI commitments amid such hostility. We found that — as is the case with many other corporate engagement areas like philanthropy — consumers want corporate America to put its money where its mouth is, literally; U.S. adults ranked hiring and promoting employees from minority groups as the DEI-related actions that most effectively support workplace equity.

DEI legitimacy questions linger for some 

Even outside of Republican political circles, corporate DEI practices face some skepticism. 

A plurality of U.S. adults think companies are only “somewhat” genuine in their efforts to assist underrepresented groups through DEI programs. Meanwhile, nearly 2 in 5 (38%) U.S. adults believe this work isn’t coming from a genuine place.

Though these findings hold true for every major consumer cohort, men, baby boomers and Republicans are the most doubtful of DEI authenticity — and they’re also the most likely to support DEI rollback efforts. 

However, one dimension of DEI that isn’t up for debate, at least according to public opinion, is its overall value. A clear majority (58%) of U.S. adults believe DEI initiatives are either “very” or “somewhat” important to the success of most businesses. Another large majority (66%) of employed U.S. adults believe the presence of DEI programs positively impacts their organization’s culture, according to data featured in Morning Consult’s recent report on consumer appetite for corporate engagement amid the 2024 election cycle.

And all of these Americans wouldn’t be incorrect: External research consistently shows that companies committed to diversity eclipse their counterparts on a number of business outcomes, including financial performance. 

But even with heaps of empirical evidence, negative narratives around DEI still persist and can pose big brand reputation risks if they migrate from conservative circles to the mainstream consciousness — which is rare, but has happened. Making staffing a centerpiece of DEI programs is one way brands can ensure resilience against this kind of event and instill confidence among consumers that inclusion efforts are being made in good faith. 

Direct support is the best support

It’s a generally accepted principle that employees are the lifeblood of most businesses, and it appears that this sentiment exists in the context of corporate DEI programs, too: U.S. adults believe staffing-centric actions, like recruiting (57%) and promoting (55%) employees from minority groups, are most effective at achieving workplace equity.

In contrast, external-facing work like selling inclusive merchandise or featuring diverse actors in an ad campaign is viewed by the general population as somewhat less meaningful than internal initiatives. Still, this doesn’t mean these efforts are moot. 

Inclusive marketing is appreciated by most Americans and it can even drive purchases among younger, nonwhite cohorts. Brands should be mindful, however, that any diversity-focused creative features specific experiences that reflect the real lives of minority consumers. 

And while things like identity-based hiring programs or standardized inclusion scores have become best practices for DEI-driven employment, there’s yet another new frontier brands must now consider — artificial intelligence. 

Several popular automated hiring tools like resume-scanning bots have been found to possess biases related to gender, race, age and disability status. Knowing this, brands should be extremely conscientious when choosing HR software vendors and consider setting quality standards. Clearly disclosing what hiring tools are being used on a job application landing page may also earn brands some goodwill among candidates, too. 

DEI durability 

Forty-one percent of employed U.S. adults said their company either currently has or has had DEI programs in place in the past, but only 20% reported ever being involved in one. Most DEI initiatives are opt-in and not meant to cater to every single employee, but involvement figures were equally low among the underrepresented groups that DEI programs typically target, such as women (16%), Black (20%) and Hispanic (20%) adults. 

This data suggests that — while corporate DEI efforts are broadly popular — the actual practice is in somewhat of a precarious position, especially against the backdrop of an ongoing crusade by Republicans. That said, industry experts resoundingly agree that brands often do more harm than good by taking a position and then backtracking on it in the face of scrutiny from a small group of consumers. 

So, whether the goal is to increase internal adoption or withstand potential conservative attacks, brands’ best bet is to activate on DEI in the ways that are perceived as most impactful. In 2024, that means attracting, retaining and elevating minority employees. Of course, more holistic programs can be built up around this — but a staff-centric DEI nucleus offers brands some insulation from politically-charged news cycles and consumer behavior.