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> communication ability (this is very, very close to being racist…draw your own conclusions) I'm trying to draw my own conclusion but I'm confused. Communicati
by autarch 5y ago
> communication ability (this is very, very close to being racist…draw your own conclusions)
I'm trying to draw my own conclusion but I'm confused. Communication ability is very important for developers and other technical roles. We need to be able to talk to each other about our work, and in many organizations we also need to be able to work effectively with other non-technical staff.
Of course, this doesn't mean that you have to speak or write the company's primary language in some particular way, as long as you can make yourself understood. Nor does it require that you speak that language as your first language.
Is there something specific about _how_ Big Ass Corporation is evaluating communication ability that is racist?
- sandyarmstrong 5y agoThe way I read it is that "communication ability" is something people can use to justify racist hiring decisions. For example, labeling non-white speaking patterns as "unprofessional", or non-American accents as "poor communication skills". When in fact, these candidates may have excellent communication skills, and in a blind interview situation the same interviewer might praise their writing abilities. But you don't really know, because the interviewer is rating communication skills in a scenario that can easily bring out a lot of hidden biases.
- autarch 5y agoThis makes sense. I think it's really important to spell out what "communication ability" means so that all the interviewers know what they're looking for. And more generally, it's very important that before you start the hiring process, you have a clearly defined set of criteria that everyone participating in the hiring process agrees on.