Why Diversity Programs Fail - And What Works Better

July 4, 2016
Green and yellow balls, with the heading in front of them "Why Diversity Programs Fail"

Frank Dobbin and Alexandra Kalev, in their article "Why Diversity Programs Fail" (Harvard Business Review, July-August 2016), discuss their research analyzing data from 829 firms over three decades. Their research found that the programs and tools used by businesses to reduce bias – diversity training, hiring tests, performance ratings, grievance systems – tend to make things worse not better. The authors discuss why, and how businesses should proceed instead.