Leaning into DEI

What do companies like PepsiCo, JPMorgan Chase, and Salesforce Inc. have in common?

They continue to lean into workplace DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) values and practices despite a shifting legal landscape and pressure from right-wing “activists.”

In June 2023, the Supreme Court ended race-conscious admissions in higher education with its decision on the Students for Fair Admissions (SFFA) case. 

The ruling has had profound effects on the legal landscape in the US, and some companies have decided to preemptively drop DEI programs in hopes of avoiding lawsuits. 

It’s also emboldened right-wing “activists” to publicly pressure companies to distance themselves from DEI. In recent weeks, Ford, Lowe’s, Harley-Davidson, Tractor Supply, and Deere have announced plans to scale back their DEI programs after being targeted by one anti-DEI agitator.

Despite continued attacks on DEI, many businesses continue to see the value of growing and maintaining a diverse workforce.

Here are 3 companies that are continuing to champion DEI: 

1. JPMorgan Chase

In January, JPMorgan Chase CEO Jami Dimon said the bank isn’t backing down from DEI despite the “ridiculous ESG, DEI groups coming at us,” Fortune’s Ruth Umoh reported. 

Dimon made clear that the firm would follow the law. But he said the company would continue to reach out to underserved communities, although it would be required to adjust its processes around racial and gender quotas. Besides that, their DEI programs wouldn’t change much, he said.

The bank’s website touts programs aimed at elevating people with disabilities, veterans, women, LGBTQ people, and people of diverse racial backgrounds.

“We know that building a stronger, more inclusive economy that benefits everyone is good for people, business, and society,” their site boasts.

2. PepsiCo

Pepsi, one of the world’s largest food and beverage corporations, has championed DEI initiatives for over a decade.

In 2013, Pepsi reached out to Disability Solutions, a nonprofit consulting service for companies seeking to diversify their workforce, to develop Pepsi ACT. The initiative creates opportunities to attract, hire, and retain talented people with disabilities. Through the program, managers and supervisors received training to improve interviewing, supervising, and retaining talent. Pepsi ACT increased employee retention rates and voluntary self-identification among job seekers with disabilities.

In 2020, the U.S. Dept. of Labor awarded Pepsi the Gold Award in the department’s Excellence in Disability Inclusion Awards program.

In 2022, Pepsi launched a program that supported the inclusion of LGBTQI+ employees around the world. The company allowed workers the option to self-identify while simultaneously starting awareness campaigns on the importance of self-ID and including pronouns in employee descriptions. 

The result: a staggering 12,475 employees across 33 countries chose to self-identify their gender identity and sexual orientation.

In January 2024, the World Economic Forum selected the PepsiCo initiative as one of its annual “DEI Lighthouse” initiatives. Pepsi’s initiative was one of seven initiatives chosen across industries for being effective, pragmatic, and insightful. 

“PepsiCo’s effort is a significant example of how to mobilize employees to gather data and thereby improve progress on DEI,” the WEF report noted.

3. Salesforce Inc.

The San Francisco-based software company has been working to make its company more equitable for years. In 2015, they conducted an equal pay audit that led to the company spending $3 million to raise women’s salaries to the level of their male counterparts. 

However, Salesforce has further ramped up its DEI efforts in the last four years.

In 2020, the global company launched an initiative with the goal of improving the sense of belonging among people in underrepresented groups. The program lets employees have confidential meetings with internal coaches to address any barriers they’re experiencing in their career or work life. 

Besides directly helping employees, the program collects feedback that can be used for new DEI programs. 

Over 2,400 people have been supported through the program, and the World Economic Forum selected the program in 2024 as one of its “DEI Lighthouse” initiatives. 

WEF noted the program’s “high degree of proven transformative impact” for employees and increased retention among the people who participated.

So why should companies continue pursuing DEI initiatives?

There are countless reasons to invest in DEI programs. DEI helps companies generate fresh ideas, appeal to a global audience, and nurture innovation, just to name a few highlighted by Claremont Lincoln University.

Businesses that make DEI a priority are more productive. More diverse companies report higher revenue. And one study even found that diverse teams of employees made better decisions than individuals most of the time.

And, it turns out, most Americans are in favor of DEI programs. 

Sixty-one percent of Americans consider DEI programs to be “a good thing” for companies, according to a 2024 poll from the Washington Post and Ipsos.