Should I take my DEI work off of my résumé?

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Welcome to Pressing Questions, Fast Company’s work-life advice column. Every week, deputy editor Kathleen Davis, host of The New Way We Work podcast, will answer the biggest and most pressing workplace questions.

Q: Should I take my DEI work off of my résumé?

A: This is such a timely question and such a fraught one.

In the last month, President Trump has issued a flurry of executive orders dismantling DEI initiatives in the federal government, military, and public schools. Trump also revoked an executive order from 1965, which addressed discriminatory hiring practices across federal contractors, and in the same executive action, he directed federal agencies to open investigations into private sector companies to end DEI programs that “constitute illegal discrimination or preferences.”

Add to all of that the 2023 Supreme Court decision overturning affirmative action, which sparked a wave of lawsuits from conservative activists aimed at DEI efforts across the public sector and private companies.

Given all of this, it’s not surprising that a lot of companies are renaming, scaling back, or ending their diversity programs. So in this climate, I understand the inclination to remove or downplay your DEI work on your résumé if you are looking for a job.

But, as someone who has covered the evolution of DEI work and understands how crucial it is to employee well-being, team dynamics, innovation, and company success, I would never advise anyone to downplay their DEI work on their résumé.

Why it’s a mistake to hide your DEI work

Aside from the moral imperative to stand behind this important work, it’s just never a good idea to lie on your résumé. Leaving off your work on an employee resource group, for example, may feel more like a borderline omission. But if your job title included DEI, changing it or leaving it off of your résumé is a deceit that is easy for a future employer to discover. 

The other reason why I think it’s a mistake to remove mentions of DEI work from your résumé: If this is work that’s important to you, do you really want to work for a company that wouldn’t hire you because you worked in DEI?

All of that said, I’m not naive about the need to find a job if you are out of work. Ideally we could all feel connected to our company’s mission, but in an environment where businesses are afraid of legal retaliation, that can difficult. 

While I don’t think you should alter your résumé to remove your past DEI work, you can use your cover letter to address the current climate and how those same values can still have a place at companies.

Pivot to Belonging and Culture

Fast Company contributor Mita Mallick says that she sees some DEI work being rebranded as Belonging and Culture. “While some leaders may feel uneasy about continuing to use the words diversity, equity, and inclusion, belonging can spark more feelings of comfort. When we feel like we belong in our workplaces, we are happier and more engaged,” Mallick says.

If you previously did DEI work on an HR team, a belonging and culture role pivot to do similar inclusion work by helping with onboarding experience for new hires, employee engagement, employee surveys, and employee resource groups. 

Expand hiring pool

If a company wants to shy away from outright diversity hiring initiatives there are still ways to widen the applicant pool: removing degree requirements, widening where jobs are posted, removing biased phrases from job ads, opening up jobs to remote candidates, and more. Signaling that you are versed in these best practices to find untapped talent, will make you more valuable for open HR roles.

Things are complicated and changing fast. Here’s some further reading about the current state of DEI:

• SCOTUS overturns affirmative action: What it means for workplace DEI
• This is how DEI will change in 2025
• DEI in the Trump era: What’s at stake for you and your workplace?
• How companies can keep doing DEI work, despite Trump’s executive orders

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