The dissolution of DEI practices and policies in the workplace continues as Goldman Sachs begins working on eliminating the use of diversity-based criteria from its board election procedures. The battle against diversity, equity, and inclusion was a defining aspect of 2025, where socio-political changes led to a general shift away from DEI. Since last year, there have been repeated executive orders mandating that businesses step away from reporting and enacting any form of DEI policies.
Ever since, many businesses have actively ceased working on any hiring, firing, and diversity-building practices that could be interpreted as discriminatory or partial to a specific community. As Goldman drops its DEI standards and gets set for a new era of decision-making, the white-collar industry is sent another reminder of how to approach diversity, equity, and inclusion in 2026.
Goldman Sachs’ DEI policy takes another hit as it begins plans to drop DEI requirements from its board-candidate criteria. (Image: Pexels)
Goldman Sachs Distances Itself from Its DEI Policy For Its Board-Candidate Criteria
The Wall Street Journal was the first to report Goldman Sachs’ reconsideration of its board diversity and how candidate selection will be processed in 2026. As per the report, the American multinational investment bank and financial services company agreed to tailor how it identified qualified candidates for its board. Goldman Sachs has not confirmed these DEI reports, but sources indicated that the company is all set to edit its selection criteria, which is based on four primary divisions, including one that has a broad definition of diversity.
This criterion doesn’t just reflect diversity of gender or race, but looks at diverse viewpoints, background aspects like military experience, and other features that guarantee a candidate with unique demographic markers that make their insights all the more useful to the board. Once Goldman drops its diversity factors, these demographic considerations will no longer figure into its decision-making when members are elected to the company board.
Goldman Sachs’ proposed diversity rule changes came at the request of the National Legal and Policy Center, according to WSJ. The activist nonprofit group is believed to be a shareholder in the bank and has been at the center of many petitions prompting businesses to divest themselves of their DEI policies. Their request to Goldman Sachs was reportedly submitted in September and will soon be put in front of shareholders in April, where a final decision will be made.
As Goldman Drops Its Diversity Factors, It Solidifies the Decline of DEI
Goldman Sachs’ proposed retread on its DEI policy isn’t surprising, as the business was quick to distance itself from the practices early last year, where it removed its diversity and inclusion section from its annual filings, much like other leading businesses in the U.S. The company also dropped its requirement for businesses with IPO filings to have women and members of minority groups on their board of directors.
Just earlier this month, the NLPC announced that it had successfully petitioned for businesses like American Express and JohnDeere to backtrack on policies that called for a “mix of directors” joining their boards. While a shift in DEI requirements for employees has been witnessed in the last year, in 2026, the changes are set to reshape the formation of the board of directors as well, affecting those who make central decisions at their organizations.
Where Does the Workforce Stand on DEI Policies?
Employees, for their part, still remain partial to the concept of DEI, although they see the positive impact from these policies declining. A report from The Conference Board found that 65% of respondents said “they would not, or would only reluctantly,” work for a business that doesn’t uphold its responsibility towards DEI. It also reported that positive personal impact from DEI fell from 57% in 2024 to 50% in 2025 for employees.
This leaves businesses in a complex position where DEI considerations can draw political and legal backlash, but employees continue to look for the protections and safeguards previously presented by these policies. General workplace trends have shown that businesses are now centering policies on belongingness and inclusion and dropping any other lingo surrounding community-building to protect their interests, but internal decisions that could be misconstrued as DEI policy-making could still draw ire from the administration and other fringe groups that hold power in the U.S.
With Goldman set to rework its DEI board criteria and other businesses likely to follow suit, it’s important for employers to revisit their own policy and see where they stand on matters. DEI initiatives once reigned supreme for a reason, but it may be time to re-evaluate how unity can be prioritized without the accompanying jargon in 2026.
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