What HR and Culture Leaders Can Learn From The Election Cycle

By Rachel Marcuse, Chief Operating Officer at ReadySet

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As I watched the vice presidential debate, I was struck by the difference between authenticity and polish. Many commentators have agreed that Vance came off as more well-honed (perhaps from his Yale Law School training) and Waltz as relatable, relying more on experts and traditionally credible sources of knowledge.

The tone of each VP candidate has been very different, though perhaps less obviously so than the difference between Trump and Harris. Waltz has painted the GOP as “weird”.  The DNC felt like a party, complete with a Lil Jon cameo, dancing, and positivity, while the RNC has been portrayed as awkward and boring, something expertly played up on social media by the Harris campaign and their social media surrogates. Both sides want us to know that the campaigns could not be more different, heightening the polarization that exists between the parties. 

In a time of particularly fractured politics, these tensions are now showing up in workplaces. A Gallup study found that nearly half of American workers have discussed political issues with a coworker in the past month. And these conversations can be thorny, particularly when exacerbated by generational gaps. As a particularly topical example, younger Americans, particularly those under 30, are more likely to support Palestinian causes compared to their older counterparts– and we’ve seen these dynamics play out in workplaces where employers are unequipped to handle the fallout with 45% of workers not wanting to go into the office due to political tensions. 

While the need for initiatives to help diffuse these tensions is growing, we are seeing a prolific backlash against DEI. Many employers are cutting DEI programs – the very tools that when designed and implemented thoughtfully -- can help us address these issues. 

This election cycle has been a parade of contrasts, but there are lessons for culture leaders, DEI practitioners, HR professionals, employers and executives. 

Vibes Matter 

The Harris-Waltz campaign has made an intentional decision to double down on culture – and the vibe if you will. While there are certainly pros and cons to an overreliance on feel-good vibes without real substance (and significant criticism of an early lack of policy), this emphasis was intentional – and something that HR and DEI practitioners might want to take note of. 

In our work at ReadySet, we’ve never seen culture and DEI as separate. The culture at your organization – and specifically if you have a positive or negative relationship with your manager is still a primary reason why employees stay or or leave their jobs. It doesn’t matter how good your DEI programming is if your relationship with your boss is awful. 

Employers need to ensure that these foundational pieces are in place. Solid cultural practices – particularly making sure managers are well trained – matter. And can really affect the vibe at work. 

Consider Your Messengers When It Comes To More Polarizing Topics Like DEI

The Harris campaign hasn’t been leading with identity, but that doesn’t mean that people aren’t talking about it. From “Black Women for Harris” to “White Dudes for Harris,” to Michelle Obama’s “black jobs” burn, identity is very present – and important to the Harris base. The Harris campaign has relied on surrogates to help her bring that message forward with authenticity and a grassroots emphasis. 

The same thing can happen at organizations. While we know that executive sponsorship of DEI or cultural initiatives are more likely to make them successful, leaders aren’t always the right messengers. Employee resource groups (ERG’s) can be excellent catalysts of change within an organization. They’re made up of employees with specific lived experience from social identity groups, and touch different parts of an organization due to the mix of seniority. And when we compensate members of these groups – as opposed to expecting them to do the emotional or resourced labor for free – we signal a commitment to fairness, one of the primary ways that these efforts become truly tangible within an organization. In turn, ERG’s can help further the organization’s DEI mission from the ground up.

Leverage Experts And Those With Lived Experience 

Neither campaign has consistently leveraged experts and those with lived experience. 

While Republicans frequently dismiss experts entirely, the Harris-Walz campaign hasn’t been entirely consistent either. Polling shows that not allowing a Palestinian speaker at the DNC was a huge miss. A Palestinian speaker would have brought a much needed humanizing perspective on the Palestinian reality in Gaza. It wouldn’t just have been the right thing to do – it would have been strategically prudent, particularly when we know that this election could be won or lost by young people. 

Reading the room is an essential DEI practice. Thoughtful DEI experts can help people move through conflict, validate and identify commonalities. There aren’t always “right” answers but leaders don’t have to do all of this by themselves. If we’re going to take the position that credibility, facts and evidence-based sources matter, let’s pull in those experts when we have the resources to do so. 

When in Doubt, Be More Authentic

People are talking about politics at work whether we want them to or not. And they want leaders to acknowledge what’s going on in the world. 

The Harris campaign leveraged “brat” - a Gen Z driven concept that is essentially a mix between ‘authentic’ and ‘carefree’, embracing messiness and rejecting the antiquated polish of civil politics. While we might not encourage leaders to be “brat,” specifically – or take on Trump’s too casual (not to mention, dishonest) approach  – leaders typically will be better off being authentic. 

Both VP candidates found themselves saying “I agree” multiple times in the debates – something that really stood out given the extreme polarization that’s existed between the parties. While it is tempting to create otherness and decisiveness as a means to distinguish yourself, showing you can drive some consensus can help ensure your message is actually received. And it can help assuage missteps, such as Vance alienating “childless cat mom” constituents early on. 

We are not going to agree on everything, but we can create guardrails at work, equip our staff (and managers in particular) to communicate across differences and anchor in organizational values. We can strive to find commonality and use agreement to create bridges, not divides, in the workplace. (Side note: that is not to say that we have to tolerate attempts to dehumanize us or take away fundamental rights – at work or anywhere else. Ultimately, we encourage leaders and organizations to come back to their core values – and we hope inclusion is one of them.) 

Employees are struggling with the world around them and they want leaders to show up for them. Saying nothing is no longer an option.  A key here is to find your authentic voice, and listen to all the voices around you, so your workplace doesn’t become an echo chamber. 

Learn From Mistakes 

There have been significant mistakes and poor strategic decisions made in both campaigns. And leaders and people professionals are going to mess up too. When – not if – this happens, we need to adjust. DEI and culture initiatives don’t always work. Leaders say the wrong things. When we own up to what happened – and what we’re going to do about it – we build trust with our teams, increasing the sense of transparency and accountability at the same time. Humility goes a long way. 

The polarization in this country isn’t going to end anytime soon, regardless of what happens in November. But as Culture, DEI, and People Leaders, we can support our organizations and staff to become more adaptable in times of stress. And this election cycle has much to teach us.