I really like the main point of that linked article about "diversity being the canary in the coal mine" for meritocracy... a lot of times people think that anybody promoting diversity is trying to undermine meritocracy, by promoting people because of their race or religion or gender or whatever instead of how good a job they do.

But where diversity isn't present, it's a sign that meritocracy is imperiled... if you actually are bringing in the best candidates for a job, then you should end up with a diverse cross-section. If your pool ends up looking awfully homogeneous, then chances are factors besides merit are at play.