Beyond Performative DEI: Creating Real Impact

Over the years, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) have made significant strides in uplifting people, removing barriers, and reducing bias in workplaces and beyond. For example, corporate commitments to equal pay, the rise of Employee Resource Groups (ERGs), and targeted hiring programs have increased representation and inclusion across industries.

However, despite this progress, true systemic change remains a challenge. There is still much work to be done. Unfortunately, many DEI efforts have been performative, often lacking clear accountability, measurable goals, and systemic integration, ultimately failing to lead to real, lasting, and meaningful change.

With DEI facing political backlash, reduced funding, and growing skepticism—often fueled by misunderstandings and resistance to change—we must ask:

What’s next? 

Now is the time to move beyond symbolic gestures and implement strong frameworks, policies, and strategies that create real change.

The question we must ask now is: How do we evolve DEI to ensure fairness and opportunity for all?

The Shortcomings of Traditional DEI

Despite increased investment in DEI, many initiatives have not lived up to their promises. Some of the most common pitfalls include:

• Unclear Goals & Metrics – Many organizations launch DEI programs without clear success criteria. Without concrete measures, these efforts lack direction, making it difficult to track progress and ensure meaningful impact.

• One-and-Done Training – Unconscious bias training, for example, has been widely criticized for failing to create lasting behavioral changes. Studies show that standalone workshops rarely translate into meaningful shifts in workplace culture.

• Lack of Accountability – DEI initiatives often lack integration into business strategy, making them performative rather than transformative. To drive real change, equity and inclusion must be part of leadership goals, with accountability measures ensuring alignment with company values.

• Limited Focus on Blue-Collar and Low-Wage Workers – DEI initiatives frequently center on white-collar environments, leaving behind those in manufacturing, service industries, and lower-income roles who often have fewer benefits, less flexibility, and less access to career advancement opportunities.

• Resistance & Backlash – Some initiatives have sparked backlash, especially when they are framed as zero-sum efforts that benefit one group at the expense of another. This resistance can undermine progress and erode trust in DEI efforts.

These shortcomings highlight why DEI, in its traditional form, has faced criticism. The real goal is not just representation but creating workplaces where all employees can thrive—where opportunities are equitable, leadership is accountable, and diverse perspectives are valued.

The challenge now is to build on what has worked, refine our approach, and implement meaningful strategies that foster belonging and ensure everyone feels valued.

Beyond Performative DEI: Taking Meaningful Action

To move beyond performative DEI and create lasting impact, organizations must shift their focus to meaningful action and accountability. One approach that helps achieve this is Lily Zheng’s FAIR framework—Fairness, Accountability, Inclusion, and Representation—which offers a structured way to embed workplace equity into business operations.

• Fairness ensures that policies, opportunities, and resources are distributed equitably based on needs rather than historical privilege, benefiting ALL employees. It addresses wage gaps, hiring practices, and career advancement pathways to create a more inclusive and balanced workplace.

• Accountability ensures fairness is a core business priority. It requires clear metrics, regular assessments, and leadership responsibility. Those unwilling to support these commitments must face consequences, reinforcing the expectation that fairness is integral to success.

• Inclusion fosters an environment where all employees, regardless of background, feel valued and empowered to contribute. It goes beyond representation to cultivate a workplace culture that supports a range of ideas and perspectives.

• Representation ensures that decision-making bodies, leadership roles, and talent pipelines are built on merit and reflect the broad talent pool available. It prioritizes sustained efforts in recruitment, promotion, and retention strategies based on skills, qualifications, and contributions.

By focusing on these principles, FAIR offers a structured approach that organizations can use to drive meaningful, lasting workplace change.

I love the FAIR framework. It provides a strong foundation for meaningful change, and I want to build on it. We need to encourage innovative thinking—exploring new frameworks and strategies that lead to meaningful, lasting change. We must go further, expanding our thinking to ensure all workers, across industries and job types, benefit from these efforts.

More Emerging Frameworks and Ideas

FAIR is one approach to making workplace equity efforts more structured, actionable, and results-driven rather than symbolic. We must continue expanding our thinking to ensure all workers—including those in traditionally overlooked roles and marginalized backgrounds—benefit from workplace fairness.

Along with FAIR, several concepts and frameworks are gaining traction in the push for greater workplace inclusion:

• Economic Equity & Wage Justice – Ensuring that fair wages, access to benefits, and career advancement are available to all employees, not just those in corporate settings.

• Workplace Flexibility for All – Finding creative ways to offer flexibility for blue-collar and service workers, such as predictable scheduling, paid leave, and career development opportunities.

• Skill-Based Hiring & Promotion – Moving beyond traditional degree requirements to recognize skills, experience, and potential, creating more pathways for career growth.

• Worker-Led DEI Committees – Including workers at all levels, not just corporate leadership, in shaping and guiding equity initiatives.

• Industry-Specific Inclusion Strategies – Recognizing that DEI looks different in an office versus a factory floor, and tailoring approaches accordingly.

Driving Meaningful Change Going Forward

One of the most common criticisms of DEI has been its focus on optics over impact. The next evolution must integrate fairness into core business functions, not treat it as an external initiative. Here’s how we can push forward:

• Move Beyond Tokenism – Ensure that hiring diverse candidates is not the end goal but the beginning of a broader strategy to support, develop, and retain talent.

• Prioritize Structural Change – Instead of isolated training sessions, emphasize systemic interventions like equitable pay structures, mentorship programs, and transparent promotion processes.

• Tie Success to Business Outcomes – Measure business success by tracking retention, productivity, and engagement, using data-driven insights to ensure fairness drives long-term impact.

• Ensure DEI Efforts Are Inclusive of All Workers – Address the unique challenges of lower-wage, service, and blue-collar workers to ensure equity efforts uplift all employees.

• Address Skepticism Head-On – Build trust and reinforce commitment to real change through transparency and clear communication. Ensure fairness and accountability to navigate resistance and demonstrate that workplace policies benefit everyone.

The Future of Workplace Equity

We must take action to build workplaces where all employees feel valued and supported, ensuring lasting, meaningful change. Organizations must continue asking, “Who are we leaving behind?” and “How can we design equity initiatives that work for everyone?”

As we move beyond performative DEI efforts, we must challenge ourselves to think bigger and broader. The path forward requires continuous evolution, innovation, and a commitment to ensuring workplace fairness for everyone, across all roles and industries.

Implementing strong frameworks and policies ensures that workplace transformation is real and sustainable, not just a corporate talking point. Actionable steps drive lasting impact for all employees. Real change requires action, not just intention. Let’s challenge outdated approaches, implement real solutions, and create workplaces where fairness and opportunity are the standard, not the exception.