Deloitte US has decided that it’s time to move past diversity groups focused on gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, or even veteranship, Bloomberg reported.
Over the next 18 months, the accounting and consulting firm will phase out groups like the Women’s Initiative (WIN) and LGBT group Globe, and replacing them with “inclusion councils” where all employees are welcome. It’s primarily an attempt to bring the majority — white men — into the conversation.
It’s not an abandonment of any progressive principles, WIN’s national director Deepa Purushothaman told Bloomberg. “By having everyone in the room, you get more allies, advocates, and sponsors. A lot of our leaders are still older white men, and they need to be part of the conversation and advocate for women. But they’re not going to do that as much if they don’t hear the stories and understand what that means.”