Walmart From Rooster to Chicken

Happy Thanksgiving week American Job Board Doctor friends and happy Black Week to the rest! I have something to get off my chest before I sign out for the holiday, so let’s dive right in.

This week, in a blindingly bone-headed pre-Black Friday move, Walmart went from being one of the long-standing roosters – always strutting around and crowing about their commitment to raise up marginalized communities –  in the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) world – to a world-class chicken.

As one of the largest employers globally, they’ve caved to the pressure of a small but vocal group of anti-diversity activists. And unlike companies like Harley-Davidson and Lowe’s, who’ve made similar moves in recent weeks, Walmart took it a step further. They didn’t just step back from LGBTQIA+ inclusion—they also ditched support for race and ethnicity initiatives. It’s a slippery slope.

Hold on… Keep reading—step away from the unsubscribe button!
I know some of you are already rolling your eyes. “Julie, stop being a squeaky wheel and talk to us about business and job boards.”

Well, no, I’m not going to stop— AND this is about business. Specifically, how niche job boards and other solutions that serve underrepresented communities should approach this new reality as a business. But it’s not just us—backing off from focused DEI efforts isn’t good for any  of our businesses.

Let’s break this down:

Walmart’s Decision

Let’s be real: Walmart isn’t as clueless as their public statement would suggest. They aren’t bowing to public pressure because they care about the public’s opinion. If they did, they’d know that most Americans support DEI efforts and prefer to spend money with companies that promote diversity.

No, Walmart’s retreat isn’t about responding to the public; it’s about a business decision to scale back on DEI in anticipation of less enforcement of affirmative action under the incoming administration. They’ve used the classic excuse of “responsiveness” to backtrack on something they never really believed in. It’s all about cutting operational costs so they can fatten up their shareholders’ pockets in the next quarter – as you can see in their Q3 earnings report. Classic chicken move.

So, what should diversity-focused solutions do?

1. Don’t Stop. Never Stop.
   This is not the time to pack up and go home. We’ve been through worse and come out stronger. Remember, we’re better together. There will be a temptation to revert to the “old days” when we didn’t embrace the full value of intersectionality and allowed power structures to divide us. But we can’t afford to divide a piece of the pie while they hoard the rest. We’ve got work to do and we do it better together.
2. Focus on Performance and Outcomes.
   A decade ago, the Disability Solutions’ team made a promise to each other: We wouldn’t do anything we couldn’t measure. Quality and key performance indicators (KPIs) are more critical than ever—because they should always be. Measure everything, show the results, and don’t be shy about it. The more evidence you have that your solution and your community have strategic, measurable business value, the stronger your position will be.
3. Don’t Lower Your Prices.
   If you’re performance-focused and have built a product that’s more than just a compliance tool, stay the course. Don’t lower your prices (including programmatic floors) out of a fear response. If your product works and delivers results, don’t apologize for it. I regularly talk to job board owners who are too humble about their accomplishments—stop being shy, people.
4. Focus on Businesses Committed to the Work. I am sure that Walmart’s competitors would be more than happy to share their commitments to DEI and spend a little money with a great solution.  Have you connected with them?

For the Rest of the World.

Double Down.
Here’s your chance to take advantage of what will inevitably be America’s loss—and your win. As Walmart and others in the U.S. retreat from diversity, you’ll have a powerful example of how neglecting diversity will hurt communities, companies, and economies. Use America’s failure to show how your solutions can fill the gap. Let the world see what they’re missing.

For non-diversity boards and product owners, we need you too. We need partnerships that focus on delivering better, more efficient outcomes. Let’s collaborate and show how we can monetize together—because it’s good for all of us.

Before everyone checks out for the holidays and Black Friday deals, the Job Board Doctor team is thankful for all of you and for Jeff trusting us with his business. Next month, we’ll focus on what we all need to do to kickstart 2025. Hope you’ll join us!

DJAx Awards are now accepting submissions.

Speaking of kickstarting 2025 – As a proud judge for the Digital Job Advertising Excellence Awards (DJAx Awards), I’m delighted to share that nominations are now open! These global awards are a fantastic opportunity for job boards and job board suppliers to showcase their achievements and gain industry recognition.

Check out the categories here, information on the judges, details of the awards evening and photos from this year’s event.

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