Anecdotal data point: I'm working at a small startup right now, a bit over a dozen people, which is looking at hiring some web developers. It's been an interest

Anecdotal data point: I'm working at a small startup right now, a bit over a dozen people, which is looking at hiring some web developers. It's been an interesting process. We have rejected a good chunk of applicants for culture fit. (And a few for attitude. And very many for not reading the damn job description.) Here's why: Most of us, to a T, are furry trash. We want to hire someone who seems genuinely excited about the job, and kind of excited about us by extension, so we are making a good chunk of our decision based on culture fit. Some of our interviews have fit right in. They seem ease. Planning some cosplay or other. Others have reacted quite a bit cooler to the atmosphere. (We're immersed pretty deeply in this weird pocket of the permissive California culture, which I figure must be pretty intense to walk into for a job interview if you're not used to it.) The ethical bit: Both the primary groups we're hiring from, furry and nerdy, are predominately very white and very male. We seem to have a sort of multiplier effect going where both groups have some diversity but just through probability we don't see any applicants who are not the traditional white male programmer. We'd happily welcome anyone who did not match the visual template, who wasn't weirded out by us, but no one really has yet. I'm guessing we're running up against some sort of systemic discrimination, despite the fact that no one involved in the interaction is intentionally discriminating. Take that all for what you will, I guess. --Anonymouse