WHAT’S ‘DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION’ FOR? INSIGHTS FROM HR PROFESSIONALS AND NEW HIRES IN CONSULTING FIRMS

The recent backlash against diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies in the US calls for HR scholars to reflect on DEI’s trajectory. While the US context is well-studied, European branches of US firms remain underexplored, offering an opportunity to examine what aspects of DEI are failing. Through semi-structured interviews, this paper analyzes the perspectives of HR professionals and Gen Z new hires in Italian branches of US Professional Service Firms (PSFs) to understand their concerns, trust (or mistrust) in DEI, and interpretations of inclusion. Building on critical management and neo-institutional literature, our findings show that while HR professionals recognize discrimination, they often ignore it, citing meritocracy or the stress of PSF practices. New hires value DEI but already show distrust in its effectiveness, with young men more easily accepting systemic inequality when it benefits them. These differences appear shaped less by generation and more by individual awareness and organizational position.