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> the hiring managers judged the candidates from higher social classes as more likely to be competent for the job, and a better fit for it than the applicants f

by jpxw 5y ago

> the hiring managers judged the candidates from higher social classes as more likely to be competent for the job, and a better fit for it than the applicants from lower social classes. What if applicants from higher social classes actually are better fits for the job?

kthartic 5y ago
What if they’re not?
indymike 5y ago
> What if applicants from higher social classes actually are better fits for the job? What a perfect example of social class bias. Change "from higher social class" to "from purple descent" or "from a Pastafarian background" and you have racial or religious bias.
- axiosgunnar 5y ago
  No, because higher social class = access to better learning resources, e.g. tutors, and given everything else equal, better learning resources will lead to higher proficiency at a particular skill, on average. Therefore, if you do not know anything else about a group of candidates, hiring the person from the highest social class is the only rational choice. This study was doomed from the beginning.
  - indymike 5y ago
    You could rephrase your sentence and replace "higher social class" with race, gender, religion, or member of my favorite club and you'd have the most base -ism ever. This sentence is the root of almost all discrimination. "Therefore, if you do not know anything else about a group of candidates" Then the solution is to know more. Often our stereotypes (higher class) mask deep incompetencies or stop us from a deeper evaluation of the talent. You substitute accent, mannerisms and fashion for evaluating skills, aptitude, experience for the false assumption that in general will rule over the specifics of the candidate pool... which leads to horrible hiring practices, dystopian culture and worse.
  - Tade0 5y ago
    Not necessarily. Some of the most brilliant and hardworking people I know have a background that is anything but "high social class". They are like that because they have something to aspire to. Meanwhile high social class people I've met are generally dependable, but that's about it. Perhaps because they never had an incentive to think outside the box.
- ErikVandeWater 5y ago
  Bias implies deviation from the correct outcome. If Pastafarians happen to be the best at astrophysics, are you saying we should intentionally keep better qualified Pastafarians out so other religious groups can be represented?

by jpxw 5y ago

kthartic 5y ago

What if they’re not?

indymike 5y ago

> What if applicants from higher social classes actually are better fits for the job? What a perfect example of social class bias. Change "from higher social class" to "from purple descent" or "from a Pastafarian background" and you have racial or religious bias.

axiosgunnar 5y ago
No, because higher social class = access to better learning resources, e.g. tutors, and given everything else equal, better learning resources will lead to higher proficiency at a particular skill, on average. Therefore, if you do not know anything else about a group of candidates, hiring the person from the highest social class is the only rational choice. This study was doomed from the beginning.
- indymike 5y ago
  You could rephrase your sentence and replace "higher social class" with race, gender, religion, or member of my favorite club and you'd have the most base -ism ever. This sentence is the root of almost all discrimination. "Therefore, if you do not know anything else about a group of candidates" Then the solution is to know more. Often our stereotypes (higher class) mask deep incompetencies or stop us from a deeper evaluation of the talent. You substitute accent, mannerisms and fashion for evaluating skills, aptitude, experience for the false assumption that in general will rule over the specifics of the candidate pool... which leads to horrible hiring practices, dystopian culture and worse.
- Tade0 5y ago
  Not necessarily. Some of the most brilliant and hardworking people I know have a background that is anything but "high social class". They are like that because they have something to aspire to. Meanwhile high social class people I've met are generally dependable, but that's about it. Perhaps because they never had an incentive to think outside the box.
ErikVandeWater 5y ago
Bias implies deviation from the correct outcome. If Pastafarians happen to be the best at astrophysics, are you saying we should intentionally keep better qualified Pastafarians out so other religious groups can be represented?