Navigating Diversity in HR: A Conservative Perspective

As a conservative white male in HR, I recognize that many may assume the world caters to me. But if that were true, HR would be a walk in the park. In reality, working in human resources is challenging—especially when your personal values differ from those of the organization you work for. So, how do I navigate this? Simply put: companies make the decisions they wish to make, and as long as tasks are outlined in writing, I have no issue performing them.

Let’s take a step back. The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) movement saw its big push around 7-10 years ago. During this time, I was an HR Business Partner, then moved into recruiting, and later became a Manager of Talent Acquisition Operations. Initially, I was all in on the movement.

We focused on reaching out to universities and communities where the demographic makeup was more aligned with national averages, but not necessarily reflective of the social breakdown of the moment. We set up engineering clubs for women at various universities, participated in community hiring events, and expanded our efforts to engage diverse demographics. This work was impactful and I hope all companies continue to prioritize it.

However, as time went on, a realization began to form: the issue wasn’t about diversity—it was about optics. If we were truly worried about diversity, there would be more men in HR, for example. Instead, many of our efforts seemed more focused on creating a visible representation rather than fostering genuine inclusion.

As we introduced Employee Resource Groups (ERGs)—starting with Women, then expanding to Veterans, and later into other social categories—I initially thought this was a step in the right direction. But over time, I began to see the complexities of this approach. These groups inadvertently created divisions, putting employees into "tribes" and pushing discussions around social issues from a singular perspective. This environment sometimes led to employees with more traditional values feeling excluded, rather than included.

Let me be clear: I don’t care who you sleep with, how you identify, or what your race or religion is. We all have things we approve of and things we don’t. The key to success is finding common ground, meeting in the middle, and working together toward a shared goal.

In recent years, HR and many organizations have seemed to cater more to those with progressive viewpoints, leaving conservatives wondering if their voices truly matter. I’ve seen it firsthand. I worked for a company with a strong liberal presence based in Florida and California, during the time when Florida was passing its Parental Rights in Education bill (often referred to as the "Don’t Say Gay" bill). Regardless of where you stand on the issue, the reaction within my company was intense. Safe spaces were created, HR teams openly discussed taking action, and emotions ran high. Any alternative viewpoints I tried to present were quickly labeled as bigoted—without room for an honest discussion.

This has been a recurring pattern, whether it was discussions around Roe v. Wade or political debates surrounding figures like Donald Trump. One perspective dominated the conversation, and the other side was often dismissed outright.

Perhaps the most striking example of how my values were tested was when I was asked to design a business process for Workday that required at least two minority candidates to interview for a position before an offer could be extended. This wasn’t about finding the best-qualified candidate - it was about checking boxes and meeting diversity quotas. In this case, diversity didn’t necessarily lead to a more inclusive or effective workforce.

True inclusion means including everyone. We all come from different backgrounds, have diverse values, and unique life experiences. It’s great that some individuals feel empowered to share their opinions on social issues, but true inclusion also means being open to different viewpoints. If we only hear one side, we risk living in an echo chamber.

How do we do this? First, take away all labels. Yes, for some things, we have eyes, but not for all. ?Then talk to each other, get to know each other.? Ask about Family, outside interests, up bringing, etc.? Our biggest focus should be how to mesh into one entity, together.?

Perspective: Being gay is not for me, I am heterosexual.? You cannot look at me and tell, I cannot look at another person and determine if they are gay.? What I can do is ask them questions that you would ask anyone.? Are you married, do you have kids, where are you from, what was your neighborhood like, etc.? Now we have common ground, let’s say the person I am asking questions to is gay, they are married, have two kids, from Kansas City, love the Chiefs, etc.? We have so much more in common than who we sleep with.?

This works for almost all situations: We have been told to throw away stereotypes, but then we treat certain demographics like they all have the same experiences.? Yes, there are percentages based on demographics, but that line is blurred. ?In my opinion, this is the worst form of discrimination, we assume a history without any facts.? Again, you have eyes, I am Caucasian.? When I meet a black person, or any person with a different appearance than me, I focus on those same questions.? Where you from, you married, got kids, what was your neighborhood like, what sports teams do you follow, what is your favorite music, etc.

This focuses on what is important, that we are all different, even the ones who look the same, have the same love interests, same religion, same political affiliations.? Then when we look inward, then we have a team with diversity of experience, within their professional and personal lives

I believe HR should be supportive, but also neutral when it comes to sensitive, hot-button issues. We are all unique, but no one is entitled to special treatment. While some laws, political outcomes, or societal shifts may impact individuals differently, we should ensure that everyone—regardless of their beliefs—is treated equally within the workplace. Conservatives, like anyone else, deserve equal respect and consideration.

Equality first. We are all equal under the law, and this gives each of us an unlimited ceiling. Equity second: one cannot provide equity, until they know the individual, to do otherwise is bias. ?

Diversity is powerful, but it’s even more powerful when we focus on the commonalities that unite us. Our rights and entitlements should be based on our status as citizens of our country, not based on an idealized, one-sided vision of what the workplace should look like.

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