Misaligned Perspectives on Diversity and Inclusion in the Intelligence Community

Abstract

The U.S. Intelligence Community (IC) has executed a set of initiatives to enhance workforce diversity and inclusion to broaden the array of mindsets, perspectives, and skills in support of the mission. However, public statements and unclassified IC documentation indicate that progress is not keeping pace with objectives, as recruitment among sociodemographic minorities lags and departures outstrip that of nonminoritized groups. Research including U.S. intelligence officers conducted in the 2020–2021 timeframe suggests insight into these shortcomings by way of misaligned perspectives that diverged along group lines between core mission professionals, compliance officers, and institutional leaders. These perspectival misalignments suggest a need for more cross-group collective solutions that better reflect the experiences of intelligence officers in targeted groups.