Salesforce has effectively eliminated diversity hiring targets. The company removed specific hiring goals, including ones to increase the representation of women and minority groups, and the term “diversity” from its latest annual report, filed Wednesday.
The move comes on the heels of a series of executive orders from President Donald Trump calling for the removal of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs across the federal government and private sector. The San Francisco-based company is one of the U.S. government’s largest software vendors.
A shift in tone
Salesforce included a section titled “Equality, Diversity and Inclusion” in previous annual reports to outline initiatives aimed at building a more diverse workforce. Last year’s filing reaffirmed equality as a core value, emphasizing the company’s commitment to fostering an inclusive environment where employees could thrive.
However, the latest report marks a shift in tone. The section was renamed “Equality,” with all references to DEI initiatives removed. Instead of detailing diversity efforts, the company now highlights its compliance with equal-pay and anti-discrimination laws across its global operations. The latest filing, presents equality as a matter of federal compliance, positioning legal adherence as the basis for maintaining an inclusive workplace.
CEO Benioff has supported social issues
Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff has long been vocal about social issues and expressed support for LGBTQ+ employees. “If someone is going to come after our employees and discriminate against them in any way,” he told Axios last month, “we will do everything we can to help them.”
Benioff advocated for a tax increase in San Francisco so the city could fund initiatives to help the homeless, and threatened to withdraw investments from Indiana after the state passed a law permitting anti-gay discrimination on religious grounds, Bloomberg reported.
Salesforce joins Amazon, Meta, Google, Target, and Walmart, among other companies that have also rolled back DEI initiatives. Last week, Apple announced it may adjust its DEI policies in response to changing legal and political measures. Several of Trump’s executive DEI orders have been challenged in court.
