DEI is the road to ruin

Jim Walter's June 29 letter seemingly attributes Costco's corporate success to their use of DEI, (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion), as corporate policy. The application of this hiring theory mandates that candidates for employment meet, to the greatest extent possible, three goals to the exclusion of all others:

DIVERSITY — Preference must be given to minorities — whites, especially males, need not apply.

EQUITY — Preference must be given to those being somehow “excluded” from society because of their race, sexual proclivities or any perceived "otherness."

INCLUSION — Preference must be given to members of any group that has ever suffered any sort of “injustice."

You will note that "merit" a time-proven predictor of a new hire's potential to increase the company's success in achieving its mission is completely lacking in DEI hiring criteria. DEI guidelines lead to mediocrity. Many companies are fleeing DEI because they know its faults and found that they can thrive without appeasing noisy DEI adherents.

I think that Costco can apply DEI rules to the hiring of 1000s of floor employees whose duties are neither consequential nor onerous. However, when seeking management-level people, merit is a must, no place there for DEI nonsense. Corporate survival requires hiring only those with demonstrated ability, a quality that DEI does not recognize.

DEI is not the road to corporate success, it is a road to ruin!

Willard Salemink

West Liberty