Salesforce is retracting its DEI goals.
Business Insider reports that the major software company removed references to its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) goals in its annual financial report. Regarding hiring, the company says it will now uphold equality as its core value.
“While we are not specifying representation goals, we remain committed to our core value of equality,” a Salesforce spokesperson confirmed to Bloomberg.
This sentiment was also echoed in the filing, which read, “We value the equality of every individual at our company and in our communities and are dedicated to fostering a workplace that complies with these protections, creating an inclusive culture where every individual feels seen, heard and valued.”
Salesforce joins a growing list of companies that have all followed a common pattern in recent months. Google, Amazon, and Meta are other technology-driven companies that are shifting their focus away from DEI. In retail, Walmart, Aldi, and Target have done the same. For Target, this has led to the retailer being sued by shareholders, and it has prompted a 40-day boycott by consumers, as AFROTECH™ previously reported.
The shift also mirrors the White House administration’s goals. President Donald Trump issued several executive orders intended to dismantle DEI efforts. This has led to individuals in federal government roles being placed on paid leave as “the agency takes steps to close/end all DEIA initiatives, offices, and programs,” according to CNN. Trump also sought to dismantle equity-related grants and contracts and use civil rights laws against DEI programs in the private sector, but he was hit with a preliminary injunction by U.S. District Judge Adam B. Abelson in Maryland, according to Ogletree Deakins. The judge then denied the Trump administration’s motion to stay the preliminary injunction.
A growing number of companies are adhering to the agendas of the White House. Per Business Insider, Salesforce said it is “firmly rooted in compliance with federal law and other applicable laws and regulations in the regions in which we operate.”
