Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

We've seen articles about companies that have prospered by doubling down on DEI. The linked Forbes article suggests that Target stores erred by publicly abandoning their DEI commitments.  Do you agree that's the cause or is it something else? Is there a lesson for engineering firms?

Bill Mc

The Quiet Part Out Loud: Target Ditching DEI Cost The CEO His Job And Investors $12 Billion

Forbes		remove preview
The Quiet Part Out Loud: Target Ditching DEI Cost The CEO His Job And Investors $12 Billion Eliminating its DEI programs has been bad for Target's business - seemingly costing investors billions and the CEO his job. View this on Forbes >

 

#Inclusionandbelonginginengineeringworkforce

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William McAnally Ph.D., P.E., BC.CE, BC.NE, F.ASCE
ENGINEER
Columbus MS
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Engineering firms live and die by their project delivery performance. Clients want the best talent on their projects. DEI is a tool in the toolkit to recruit and retain top talent. Giving up on DEI creates a human resource risk. Sadly, DEI has taken on a connotation of mediocrity in today's day and age. It takes courage to stay the course. A record of solid project delivery is hard to argue with.

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Mitch Winkler P.E.(inactive), M.ASCE
Houston, TX
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I think Target erred and moved away from its customers' values.  They were seen as being different than Walmart promoting Pride Month and featuring diversity with its models and advertisements.  Now those customers are boycotting and going elsewhere, like Costco.  Changing CEOs won't bring back those customers unless they return to promoting DEI. 

It also says something about culture if the employer isn't promoting/supporting diversity, equity, and inclusion.  I'd have second thoughts about working at place that only promotes one way of looking and thinking. Universities and other public agencies have worked to change the names of those efforts, but still promote DEI as values they want to keep.  Some alternate names I've seen include 'Belonging', 'Representation', and 'Engagement'.  APWA renamed it's DEI committee "Member Engagement Committee".  Time will tell if it can still meet that same mission that DEI filled. 

The tougher part is when state & federal funding comes with those strings attached to eliminate that support.  I'm also involved with APWA and they are struggling to navigate that change after promoting DEI, not to mention the difficulty with implementing the change with their Canadian chapter ("He's not our President!").  In the KC metro, one public agency was able to get federal funding released, but there are strings attached.     

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Ernesto Longoria P.E., M.ASCE
Development Engineering Manager
City of Shawnee, KS
Shawnee KS
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Good point about Target misjudging its client base, Ernesto. The 2023 blow-back against their "Pride" displays apparently came from people who didn't shop at Target anyway. Dropping DEI just alienated a chunk of their cliental without appeasing the opposition.

It's good news that organizations are still recognizing the importance of DEI's underlying principles and using practices that produce better work environments and more effective efforts. 

Bill Mc

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William McAnally Ph.D., P.E., BC.CE, BC.NE, F.ASCE
ENGINEER
Columbus MS
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Original Message:
Sent: 09-10-2025 11:12 AM
From: Ernesto Longoria
Subject: Target and DEI

I think Target erred and moved away from its customers' values.  They were seen as being different than Walmart promoting Pride Month and featuring diversity with its models and advertisements.  Now those customers are boycotting and going elsewhere, like Costco.  Changing CEOs won't bring back those customers unless they return to promoting DEI. 

It also says something about culture if the employer isn't promoting/supporting diversity, equity, and inclusion.  I'd have second thoughts about working at place that only promotes one way of looking and thinking. Universities and other public agencies have worked to change the names of those efforts, but still promote DEI as values they want to keep.  Some alternate names I've seen include 'Belonging', 'Representation', and 'Engagement'.  APWA renamed it's DEI committee "Member Engagement Committee".  Time will tell if it can still meet that same mission that DEI filled. 

The tougher part is when state & federal funding comes with those strings attached to eliminate that support.  I'm also involved with APWA and they are struggling to navigate that change after promoting DEI, not to mention the difficulty with implementing the change with their Canadian chapter ("He's not our President!").  In the KC metro, one public agency was able to get federal funding released, but there are strings attached.     

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Ernesto Longoria P.E., M.ASCE
Development Engineering Manager
City of Shawnee, KS
Shawnee KS
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