Dear HR,

Stop looking to the external to define diversity.

If 100% of your executive or HR team is liberal or conservative, you don’t have diversity of thought; you have a groupthink starter kit. Over time, this can lead to bias in hiring, performance, compensation, and promotion decisions. 

Human Resources must rise above the wrapping paper or at least be honest about what they want.

If you expect candidates to disclose everything from their sexual orientation and preferred pronouns to their financial goals and disability status before even securing an AI-driven resume review, you should return the favor. 

In today’s hyper-polarized world, mutual transparency means voluntarily disclosing your beliefs – specifically, your political leanings. 

But you won’t. I get it.

Beliefs are messy, and the lived experiences that influence our decision-making can’t be collected on a job application. Political affiliation is an imperfect stand-in for those underlying beliefs, but it isn’t a protected class, so while relevant, it’s completely ignored.

It’s much easier to analyze the standard HR check boxes and pretend you’re being inclusive. Black/white, straight/gay, male/female – those categories fit neatly into an Excel file.

But what does the wrapping matter if the underlying beliefs, behaviors, and actions are identical?

Think I’m making too much of this? Then gut-check your team’s ideology. (I’m looking at you, HR.)

Instead of asking what percentage is male or female, etc., investigate potential political bias. I’m betting that’s the true source of your diversity and inclusion issues.  

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