6 — The Diversity and Inclusion Failure

The HR System Broken · 4:17

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Lyrics

[Verse 1]
They hired diverse faces for the company floor
But the boardroom still looks like it did before
Pattern matching promotions, same old crew
Entry level rainbow, but the top stays blue
Culture fit they're calling it, but what's the cost
When different voices in translation get lost

[Chorus]
Decoration not transformation
Programs without penetration
Check the box and walk away
DEI's just for display
Numbers lie when hearts don't change
Diversity in name only remains

[Verse 2]
Mandatory training in the conference room
Everyone's there but they're filled with gloom
Dobbin and Kalev tracked it for thirty years
Forced education just increases fears
Eight hundred companies, the data's clear
Voluntary beats mandatory, year after year

[Chorus]
Decoration not transformation
Programs without penetration
Check the box and walk away
DEI's just for display
Numbers lie when hearts don't change
Diversity in name only remains

[Bridge]
When HR owns it, business walks away
"That's not my job," is what the leaders say
Siloed solutions never scale or stick
Line leaders owning it, that's the trick
Mentoring matters, task forces too
Diversity managers see it through

[Verse 3]
Fifty percent women in management roles
But listen closer to their untold stories' tolls
Excluded from networks where the real deals flow
Dismissed in meetings, their ideas don't grow
Representation metrics paint a pretty scene
But belonging failures hide behind the screen

[Chorus]
Decoration not transformation
Programs without penetration
Check the box and walk away
DEI's just for display
Numbers lie when hearts don't change
Diversity in name only remains

[Outro]
Count the faces, miss the hearts
That's where real inclusion starts
Structural change beats surface show
That's how equity can grow

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