Performing Diversity: Navigating Tensions, Identity Threats, and Self-Instrumentalization in Applicant Diversity Statements

Applicant diversity statements require job candidates to describe their personal contributions and commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), yet there is limited research on how applicants experience and navigate this emerging practice. We employ a sequential mixed-methods design with open-ended surveys and in-depth interviews with academic job candidates to explore how applicants manage self-presentation when crafting diversity statements. Our findings reveal two key self-presentation tensions: a Self-Disclosure Tension—whether and how much to reveal personal identities and experiences in an instrumental setting—and a Framing Tension—how to package those identities and experiences to balance institutional expectations with authentic self-expression. These tensions, triggered by ambiguity about the task’s purpose and content, produce two identity-related threats: Trivialization Threat—the fear of one’s identity being undermined and reduced to token gestures—and Exploitation Threat—the sense that one’s identity is being used for institutional gain. By centering the applicant perspective, our study extends research on instrumental DEI framing, identity management, and organizational performativity by highlighting the self-instrumentalization required by applicants navigating ambiguous and evaluative DEI practices. Practically, our findings underscore the unintended consequences of performative DEI practices that shift the burden of proof onto individuals without institutional accountability.