Following a weeks-long social media campaign targeting Harley-Davidson’s corporate policies and leadership, the company has responded to claims that it has “gone woke.”
The Milwaukee-based motorcycle manufacturer announced late last month several changes to its policies related to employee training and corporate sponsorships but stated the changes had already been in the works prior to criticism becoming rampant on social media.
In late July, Robby Starbuck, a conservative activist with more than half a million followers on X, formerly Twitter, launched a campaign to “expose” Harley-Davidson.
Starbuck has targeted other companies, including Tractor Supply, John Deere, Jack Daniel’s and Lowe’s. He listed nearly 20 of his “concerns” with the Harley brand, ranging from its involvement in pride events and trainings aimed at supporting the LGBTQ+ community, to its commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies and legislation.
“I don’t think the values at corporate reflect the values of nearly any Harley-Davidson bikers,” said Starbuck. “Do Harley riders want the money they spend at Harley to be used later by corporate to push an ideology that’s diametrically opposed to their own values?”
Starbuck repeatedly shared a video clip of Jochen Zeitz, chief executive officer of Harley-Davidson, talking about a time when a fellow businessman called him “the sustainable Taliban.”
Calling Zeitz a “far left activist,” Starbuck pushed Harley’s board of directors to “fire their woke CEO” and eliminate his policies. His call to action gained the attention of national news outlets including Fox News and the New York Post.
In response to Starbuck’s campaign, several videos of Harley-Davidson riders removing the Harley shield from their motorcycles began to circulate online.
Last month, Harley-Davidson issued a statement saying company leadership is “saddened” by the negativity being shared on social media.
“For over 120 years, Harley-Davidson has brought the joy of motorcycling to riders around the world, no matter who they are, where they come from or what they believe in,” according to the statement. “We have a guiding principle: United We Ride. It defines how we run our business, treat our people, and underscores our commitment to welcoming all.”
Following an internal stakeholder review that was launched earlier this year, Harley-Davidson is making some changes to its employee training and sponsorships and affiliations.
The company says it has not operated a “DEI function” since April and that it does not have hiring quotas or supplier diversity spending goals. Moving forward, all business employee resource groups will have executive management to ensure each group is solely focused on professional development, networking and mentoring.
As for the company’s sponsorships and affiliations, all sponsorship activities must now be approved through the company itself or through the Harley-Davidson Foundation.
“As a consumer brand, we will focus exclusively on growing the sport of motorcycling and retaining our loyal riding community in addition to the support we already provide to first responders, active military members and veterans,” the company stated in its announcement.
Finally, all employee training will be related to the needs of the business and “absent of socially motivated content” in the future. The company said only legally required training has ever been mandatory at Harley-Davidson.
The company will no longer participate in Human Rights Campaign scoring.
“We believe having both a broad employee and customer base is good for business and that ultimately everybody should experience the joy of riding a Harley-Davidson,” according to the statement. “We remain committed to listening to all members of our community as we continue our journey together as the most desirable motorcycle brand in the world.”
Harley’s evolving goals, workforce
When Zeitz took the helm at Harley-Davidson in 2020, the company introduced an inclusive stakeholder management report aimed at prioritizing the long-term growth of the company and the overall betterment of its communities and society.
“We have the opportunity to reset and reframe how we do business,” said Zeitz in the report. “Our future will be defined not only by our products and experiences, but how we deliver value for all of our stakeholders.”
The company unveiled several new goals, including diversifying its chain of suppliers, achieving net zero emissions by 2050, and creating a “diverse and high-performing workplace.”
In 2020, the company reported 5,300 global employees, including 3,783 males and 1,517 females. Of the company’s U.S. employee pool – which excludes the 778 workers who are categorized as international – 3,709 (70%) identified as white, 356 (6.7%) as Black, 261 (4.9%) as Hispanic and 125 (2.4%) as Asian.
By 2022, the most recent demographic data available, Harley’s global workforce had grown to 6,153 people, including 4,383 males and 1,170 females. Among U.S. employees, 3,960 (64.4%) identified as white, 494 (8%) as Black, 409 (6.6%) as Hispanic and 203 (3.3%) as Asian. International employees increased to 959, or 15.6% of the total workforce.
Harley’s new hires are also trending younger, with the number of employees under 30 increasing 57% from 975 in 2021 to 1,123 in 2022. By comparison, the 30-50 age group grew by 26.5% and the over 50 age group grew by 8.4% from 2021 to 2022.
Response to changes
The changes Harley is making to its policies and employee training received mixed reactions.
Starbuck called the changes a “win” for his movement, saying at the time he was “three for three in taking down woke companies.” His overall call to action to American companies is that they remove any sort of political program or affiliations from their operations.
On the other hand, the Human Rights Campaign called Harley’s decision to back out of the scoring program “shameful.” The organization “strongly urged” the company to reverse its decision and “put people before politics.”
“Remember: LGBTQ+ people are motorcyclists too and our community holds $1.4 trillion in spending power,” the HRC said in a statement posted to social media.
A handful of Milwaukee-area companies, including Rockwell Automation, ManpowerGroup, WEC Energy Group, Clarios and Froedtert Health, have since vocalized commitment to their own diversity initiatives.
Ugo Nwagbaraocha, president of Milwaukee-based Diamond Discs International and head of the National Association of Minority Contractors Wisconsin chapter, praised those companies for doubling down. In a LinkedIn post late last month, Nwagbaraocha said he was “disappointed” to learn of Harley’s decision to end programs for diversity in hiring and contracting minority suppliers.
Whether social media criticisms have had any impact financially on Harley-Davidson remains to be seen. The company will release its third quarter earnings later this fall.
