Adobe has joined a growing roster of major technology companies pulling back their diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts, marking a significant retreat from commitments made in recent years.
The software giant will “discontinue the practice of setting aspirational representation goals while continuing our focus on fair and consistent hiring practices,” according to Adobe’s Chief People Officer Gloria Chen, who made the announcement during an internal meeting. The decision adds Adobe to the expanding list of firms withdrawing these policies.
This shift mirrors similar moves by Google and Meta, both of which have recently dismantled key components of their diversity programs. Google announced in February that it would no longer use hiring goals to boost workforce diversity, with Chief People Officer Fiona Cicconi informing employees that “in the future we will no longer have aspirational goals.” The company has also removed language about diversity commitments from its annual Securities and Exchange Commission filings.
Meta made its changes in January, when it ended several diversity programs, including initiatives for diverse candidate hiring and supplier diversity efforts. In an internal memo, Janelle Gale, Meta’s vice president of human resources, cited a changing “legal and policy landscape surrounding diversity, equity and inclusion efforts in the United States.”
These corporate decisions follow President Donald Trump’s executive orders targeting diversity programs. The order threatens financial sanctions on federal contractors with “illegal” DEI programs and directs federal agencies to investigate public companies with diversity policies that could constitute “illegal discrimination or preference.”
Adobe’s retreat from diversity targets represents a stark departure from its previous position. In fiscal year 2021, the company reported progress in representation metrics for women and underrepresented minorities, with Adobe employee networks hosting cultural celebrations and supporting nonprofit organizations. The company had also launched partnerships with Historically Black Colleges and Hispanic-serving Institutions.
Analysts note that the corporate pullback extends beyond tech. Companies including McDonald’s, Walmart, Ford, and Lowe’s have all announced changes to their diversity initiatives, with many citing the Supreme Court’s 2023 decision that invalidated affirmative action in university admissions.
Tech industry consultant Devika Brij expressed concern about this trend. “When George Floyd began to become the topic of conversations, companies and executives doubled down on their commitments and here we are only a couple years later, and folks are looking for opportunities to cut those teams,” said Brij, CEO of Brij the Gap Consulting.
Critics of these rollbacks warn that reduced diversity efforts could have long-term implications for the technology industry, particularly as companies develop artificial intelligence systems that require diverse perspectives to avoid embedded biases.
The companies involved have maintained they remain committed to workplace fairness while adjusting their approaches. Adobe, like other firms making similar changes, has emphasized that it will continue focusing on “fair and consistent hiring practices” even as it discontinues specific diversity targets.