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I am torn about DEI. It's sort of the equivalent for "quote rosa" in Italy. On one hand, if I need to hire let's say an engineer, and if all the available engi
by thefz 2y ago
I am torn about DEI. It's sort of the equivalent for "quote rosa" in Italy.
On one hand, if I need to hire let's say an engineer, and if all the available engineers have specific homogeneous social characteristics, I still want the best engineer possible for the role. And it's up to the policymakers to understand why there is such low heterogeneity, and to address that, not me.
On the other, how else can we guarantee that a minority still has equal representation and opportunities?
- bad_username 2y agoI think there is a fairly simple resolution. You can keep the standards strictly equal for all and hire by merit. But you can also, at the same time, help people with fewer opportunities to acquire the required skills and be prepared for that equal standard. IOW, level the playing field without rigging the game. Note I said "people with fewer opportunities", not "underrepresented groups". Underrepresentation is not a problem, it can have many benign causes. Unequal opportunity is.
- matsemann 2y agoBut what if there are lots of diverse and good engineers, and somehow you always end up having to choose between a couple homogeneous ones? To me, that's what DEI in hiring tries to solve. It's not the FUD of "ohh, select the non-white". It's more of making sure one actually gets a representative collection to even choose between. Might be as simple as assessing how the interviews are conducted. Are they take-home tests someone with a small child will not be able to have time for? Is it unpaid internships only certain people can afford to do? Etc.