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> This is a part of it. There is also an unconscious bias against women in hiring. There's plenty of overt sexism, but unconscious biases are significant too. T
by manfredo 7y ago
> This is a part of it. There is also an unconscious bias against women in hiring. There's plenty of overt sexism, but unconscious biases are significant too. That whole "gut feel"-based hire is remarkably sexist and racist. As are resume callbacks in favoring male and anglophile names.
Chances are you're citing a fabricated study: https://www.vox.com/2019/2/20/18232762/gender-diversity-tech-bad-research-recruiting-new-york-times https://www.vox.com/2019/2/20/18232762/gender-diversity-tech...
Again, when we actually try to identify this bias we rarely find the alleged bias against women.
> As are mentoring and promotional opportunities should one successfully land the job. As is unaddressed sexual harassment on the job.
Neither of which are related to bias in the company's hiring process.
> Re-read my point regarding statistical biases. The existence of a 20/80 ratio is maintained by biased hiring. You seem to believe 20% out of 50% is the "correct" ratio because the current ratio is 20%. And on we go again with your wonderful sexist circular logic.
How do hospitals know that 10% male nurses is the "correct" ratio? They don't, they just give people equal opportunity and because 10% of nurses are male 10% of their hired nurses are male. The whole point is that there is no "correct" ratio. Companies should (and are theoretically obligated to) extend equal opportunity regardless of race or gender. Be biased against no one. If you think your hiring managers are erroneously passing on women, measure this bias and rectify it. Bias isn't eliminated by picking a percentage and instructing recruiters to try and reach that percentage.
When a company tries to pick a "correct" ratio and that ratio is different from the representation of people who work in that rule, bias is usually the result. If a hospital one day decided to institute a diversity program that sets a target of 15% male nurses chances are the hospital would end up being biased in favor of men. Likewise, a tech company that decides to set a target of 30% women engineers when women make up 20% of the engineering workforce is going to end up being biased in favor of women.
You might believe that this bias is justified because of bias women might face in the jobs themselves, or bias earlier in life that you believe is responsible for the fact that only 20% of aspiring engineers are women - all that is your own opinion. But bias you feel is justified is still bias.
- omar_a1 7y agoAh yes, another top-tier scientific publication: Vox. Was that research peer-reviewed by Cosmo? I'm delighted that you think that puts the issue of bias in hiring to rest. Clearly sexism and racism were abstract concepts I just made up for the purposes of this thread, and not something that has real, detrimental consequences to people in your workplace. Or, at least it doesn't effect you, so it must not affect anyone else, right? But by all means let's keep fixating on these male nurses, and their heartbreaking plight! You seem to keep veering into that topic and away from sexist hiring for women in tech. Not a surprise, I'm sure you apply the same level of avoidance to the women applying to your company.
- dang 7y agoThe level of abuse that you stooped to in this thread is shocking. I'm going to ascribe it to going on tilt, which happens sometimes when another commenter is extremely wrong, or it extremely feels like they are. We've all been there. But please don't behave like this, or anything remotely close to this, on Hacker News again. https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html