Follow the Tasks: Examining Diversity Workers’ Job Content Can Help Us Understand Diversity Initiatives

Abstract

This chapter examines the daily tasks and job content of diversity workers to better understand organizational diversity initiatives amid current political threats to such programs. While extensive research exists on diversity initiatives’ effectiveness, less attention has been paid to the diversity workers themselves and their specific job responsibilities. The authors define diversity work as tasks performed by individuals holding official diversity roles within organizations that have established diversity efforts. The chapter traces the historical evolution of diversity work from equal opportunity experts during the Kennedy administration to diversity managers under Reagan, culminating in today’s Chief Diversity Officers, with over half of S&P 500 companies employing CDOs by 2021. The authors note that diversity job titles have proliferated, yet the actual tasks comprising these roles remain poorly understood. Given the Trump administration’s efforts to dismantle diversity programs, the researchers emphasize the urgency of understanding what diversity work entails. They propose that organizations adopt a “follow the tasks” approach—systematically identifying essential diversity work tasks and setting specific goals to reduce ambiguity around diversity requests. This understanding would enable organizations to potentially rebrand positions or reallocate tasks to other roles while continuing to advance inclusive workplace goals, ensuring the preservation of progress made in organizational equality and social justice efforts.