UnHerd with Freddie Sayers Inside the DEI consultancy complex
Feb 20, 2025
Nathan Halberstadt, a former consultant at Boston Consulting Group, shares his eye-opening experiences with Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) policies. He delves into the pressure to conform within corporate environments and critiques the accountability issues in consulting firms. Halberstadt highlights the disconnect between DEI goals and actual outcomes, revealing ethical dilemmas in consulting practices. He advocates for restoring individual agency and innovation, urging a shift in how the younger generation perceives consulting and the role it plays in decision-making.
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First Project at BCG
- Nathan Halberstadt joined BCG after graduating from Vanderbilt University.
- His first project involved optimizing migration contracts for an NGO working with migrants in the US.
Shift in University Education
- The role of universities has shifted from educating owners to educating non-owner, non-employee managers.
- This creates a class of decision-makers with no skin in the game, leading to potentially negative societal outcomes.
Agency vs. Process
- Modern consulting often replaces individual agency with complex processes.
- This can create temporary efficiency but ultimately leads to meaningless jobs and stagnation.