A wave of political anti-DEI sentiment in recent months has resulted in gains for “anti-woke” activists as companies like Tractor Supply, Lowe’s, and Harley-Davidson are nixing some of their DEI initiatives and efforts.
Now Ford is joining the list after an anti-DEI activist shared an internal communication confirmed by Ford that the company is making changes in line with what activists want.
Investigating Woke Policies
Robby Starbuck, an activist who helped organize anti-DEI pressure campaigns against companies like Harley-Davidson and Tractor Supply, published an internal letter by Ford that laid out steps to pull back on DEI policies though it didn’t mention DEI by name.
“Big news: We were in the middle of investigating woke policies @Ford but this morning Ford confirmed to me that they’re making changes,” Starbuck wrote in an X post on Wednesday.
Fresh Look
The Ford letter shared by Starbuck, addressed to the Ford Team from CEO Jim Farley, outlined how the company had been reevaluating its policies to better align with the values it wished to have.
“In the past year, we have taken a fresh look at our policies and practices to ensure they support our values, drive business results, and take into account the current landscape,” the statement said.
Hiring Quotas
Ford promises in the letter to not utilize hiring quotas, or “tie compensation to the achievement of specific diversity goals.”
“While we continue to develop a dealer body that reflects the communities they serve, we will not use quotas for minority dealerships or suppliers,” the letter said.
Inclusive Workplace
Despite pulling back on some diversity initiatives, Ford still expressed how remaining inclusive is a top priority.
“Ford remains deeply committed to fostering a safe and inclusive workplace and building a team that leverages diverse perspectives…We have more work to do to realize this vision,” said the Ford letter.
Polarizing Issues
Ford also affirmed a commitment to pulling back on commenting on “polarizing issues of the day” which seems to be a nod to anti-dei activist complaints about companies becoming too political.
However, the company reserved the right to comment when “we believe our voice can make a positive difference.”
Other Changes
The company will forgo participation in surveys like the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index and Employee Resistance Groups (ERGs) must be open to all ideologies.
“Issues and events around the world evoke strong emotions and affect us as individuals in different ways. And while we may have differences of opinion, we can treat each other with respect and civility, recognizing how much we have in common as colleagues and friends,” the letter concluded.
Great Start
While Starbuck was not completely satisfied with the efforts Ford announced, he emphasized it was a good starting point.
“This isn’t everything we want but it’s a great start, ” Starbuck wrote.
Aggressive Campaign
In his X post, Starbuck bragged about the power anti-DEI forces now have, where they can effect change with just the threat of a social media post.
“We’re now forcing multi-billion dollar organizations to change their policies without even posting just from fear they have of being the next company that we expose,” Starbuck wrote. “We will continue to communicate with our sources in companies we expose and report on any that step out of line. I can promise that if we have to do a second report, it will be much more aggressive.”
Growing Movement
Some experts feel that the push against DEI in the corporate world will only pick up the pace, suggesting companies have no real motivation to continue these policies as they become a liablity.
“I think you will start to see this move towards more politically neutral companies, which is to say that most of these companies didn’t really want to be doing this stuff in the first place,” said Liz Hoffman, Semafor’s business and finance editor, on Wednesday before the letter was released.
Human Rights Campaign Statement.
In response to the move by Ford, the Human Rights Campaign came out with a strong statement blaming the company for hurting LGBTQ+ people.
“Ford Motor Company’s shortsighted decisions will have long-term consequences,” Human Rights Campaign President Kelley Robinson said in a statement. “Hastily abandoning efforts that ensure fair, safe, and inclusive work environments is bad for business and leaves Ford’s employees and millions of LGBTQ+-allied consumers behind.”
Reversing Course
This move from Ford marks a substantial shift in thinking from just a few years ago, when it saw itself as a corporate DEI leader.
“We are not interested in superficial actions. This is our moment to lead from the front and fully commit to creating the fair, just and inclusive culture that our employees deserve,” the company said in 2020 in a letter stating its commitment to DEI. “We cannot turn a blind eye to it or accept some sense of ‘order’ that’s based on oppression.”
