Why Meritocracy is an Insult to Us All

Meritocracy. A system, organization, or society in which people are chosen and moved into positions of success, power, and influence based on their demonstrated abilities and merit.? You can always depend on Merriam-Webster for good definition.?

There's been a lot of discussion about choosing people for positions based on 'merit.' The argument for meritocracy has surfaced as a rebuttal to diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, which are being dismantled in significant segments of our society. However, to advance the idea of meritocracy through soundbites suggests that historically marginalized people who move into positions of success, power, and influence are recruited, promoted, or elevated solely because of their unique dimension of diversity and nothing more. The concept of meritocracy ignores that people of color, the LGBTQ+ community, people with disabilities—whether physical or neurological, women (who still 84 cents for every dollar a man earns for performing the same job), and others are fully capable and fully qualified for any number of positions in our society. Whether it is a Fortune 500 company, a nonprofit organization, the world of academia, or our nation's legislative halls, diverse representation does not mean a watered-down and ineffective workforce. Diversity, equity, and inclusion means that we actively seek qualified individuals who are not always easily identifiable because they do not always have access to the same circles that others may have.?

It is a fact that companies that are intentional about diversity & inclusion perform better than companies that are not intentional and/or do not have such initiatives. According to Chatman Enterprises Inc. diverse-led organizations are 39% more likely to outperform organizations lacking diversity and 12 times more likely to engage and retain valuable employees. The ability to move into emerging markets is increased by 57% for diverse organizations, and creativity is increased by 59%. Diverse organizations are more productive because different people with different experiences bring different ideas to the table. When these diverse ideas converge, there is a synergy of innovation. This synergy of innovation and productivity does not happen by simply bringing in a DEI trainer or implementing a program for the sake of compliance without doing the real work. If anything, such practices do more harm for everyone involved and are a sure set-up for failure. Like anything worthwhile, it takes time, commitment, and buy-in from every individual, especially C-suite leadership.?

The other side of the myth of meritocracy is that in 2025 there are still groups of people who do not have access to the tools, opportunities, and resources that would enable them to become qualified, capable, and productive members of an organization. A significant tool is access. As a former human resources professional, I recall many times when someone was hired not because they were fully qualified or because they met every bullet point on the job description. Instead, they were hired because of their potential. More often than not, these individuals who were given the resources to succeed were the most productive and successful on their team. Simply because they were given access.

Often, access is blocked before an interview is even granted. One example is a study done with two identical resumes. The only difference was that one resume had a name usually associated with a woman, while the other had a name traditionally associated with a male. Seventy-nine percent of applicants with the man's name received a call-back, compared to 49% of those with a woman's name. Like-wise resumes with what was perceived as "white-sounding" names received 50% more calls for interviews than identical resumes with "black-sounding" names. That means "Chad Anderson" is far more likely to get called in for an initial interview than "Eboni Williams" even when their qualifications and background are identical.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, when done right, mitigates biases, particularly affinity bias. We all have biases. Every. Single. Human. The key to a successful team is to recognize that, as humans, we tend to gravitate to people who are most like us. That's affinity bias in action. We all do it. When DEI is done correctly, everyone is held accountable because otherwise, we all fall into the bias-trap, which is detrimental to the goals of any team or organization. Let me emphasize: No one is exempt from bias. And because we are shaped and socialized by media, peers, family, and more, sometimes we can even operate against our own best interests. This means that not only can we have an affinity for those like us, but we can unknowingly be biased against members of our own group because of how we have been socialized. That's just one more reason accountability is essential for us all. It's why diversity, equity & inclusion programs are imperative, along with unconscious bias training and other pedagogical tools designed for organizational success.? It's why meritocracy, without adequate consideration that diverse teams are transformative teams, might appear fair on the shallow surface. But deep down, it is ultimately a recipe for disaster.

Let's continue to shift our word toward unity. Remember, we're better together!

Lisa Jenkins Brown, D.Min. | www.lisajenkinsbrown.com