Do you support corporate DEI programs aimed at achieving "fair outcomes” in hiring and promotion?

👍 Yes (41%) – "Diverse opinions, in both personal and professional life, are incredibly important. What I think about the world and how we as groups should operate within it varies drastically from people others who have different backgrounds than me. We need to embrace diversity as something that exists, and something that that makes us better, not worse."

• "Yes I support DEI programs on the strict basis that they do not promote lesser qualified candidates over those that are more fitting for a role, regardless of race, religion, gender, etc."

"DEI corporate programs require a lot of energy, focus and financial support to work, and they are necessary the build your talent pool for leadership. Without being “forced” to do it, many or most companies will fall back into old habits and just choose leaders from their already majority white male promotion pool. This weakens the eventual leadership team and it becomes homogenized."

• "Because to claim that the playing field is equal in America is a sad joke - there are still plenty of white men holding onto positions of power, and clearly letting things ride doesn't get us anywhere. People in power hold onto power however they can, and surround themselves with similar people. So if we don't have avenues to literally force diversity into positions of power then it's not going to change and we'll continue to see white men leading the way. And with the state of the world and the country, are they really the ones who are most capable...? Only ostriches with their heads entrenched firmly in the sand would think things are okay the way they are."

👎 No (40%) – "The only type of affirmative action I'd ever support is something for those with disabilities. Otherwise, I struggle to see how sexuality or skin color has anything to do with success. Poverty is a much more suitable indicator of people who could use some kind of assistance in life and DEI didn't address that. It DID lead to universities orchestrating which color people they accepted, regardless of qualification, and what a kick in the teeth to the kids who worked hard and were passed over."

• "I may be ignorant here but isn’t hiring based on the color of skin racist? In addition, as a minority and a female I’m quite offended that the people creating these policies think that I need quotas to be considered rather than my qualifications. I can get ahead in life on my own thank you very much. Please dont make me think I’m dumb or unqualified on my own."

"A 'fair outcome' in hiring and promotion is the best person for the job, period. We can't constantly be moving the target for jobs and promotions based on something that isn't a bona fide job qualification. It isn't fair to anyone who doesn't fall into a DEI bucket but meets all the qualifications for a job or promotion that they would be passed over for an opportunity because of something like race or how another person identifies sexually. Neither of those things are relevant in the workplace. If companies want to make scholarship funds for specific groups in their industry to make the candidate pool more diverse, great, I fully support that. But don't hire someone just because you didn't meet your diversity quota last quarter; hire the best person for the job REGARDLESS."

• "Isn't it still discrimination and segregation if we use criteria based on race, culture, gender, etc. no matter what the race, culture, gender, etc. criteria are?"

🤷 Unsure/other (19%) – "This is a hard topic to discuss. On the one hand, affirmative action programs have improved the equality of minority groups. However, even with these programs made specifically for these minority groups, they still do not have the same equal opportunities as a majority race person. On the other hand, there is a lot of support being offered to minority groups that is not necessarily reciprocated in majority groups, where many people would still benefit from it. The problem with DEI programs (all groups should be the same including whites and majority races) is that it reinforces the discrimination and systemic oppression of races that has been so prominent in the past. Generally, there is no “fair” way to think about this issue, as it affects different groups differently and the individual voter‘s experience greatly impacts their interpretation."