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Dropbox’s hiring practices explain its disappointing lack of female employees
- patio11 13y ago“Perhaps a question on how Dropbox might be used to solve income inequality or the unaffordability of housing in San Francisco would reveal as much about someone’s creativity—and more about their character—than questions about superheroes.” I wonder whether the motivation for this question is: a) I am genuinely unaware that this question carries freighted assumptions which would project into the hiring process. b) I am aware that this question carries freighted assumptions, but think they are justified because they tend to counterbalance pre-existing biases in the hiring processes. c) I am aware that this question carries freighted assumptions, and if it thereby biases our hiring process, I am totally cool with that result.
- JoeAltmaier 13y agoSo they want geeky employees. They ask geeky hiring questions. Not a lot of women are geeky. Conclusion: hiring practices are biased against women. I guess that's technically a correct conclusion, if many women can be placed outside the 'geeky' box. If you have an axe to grind (and face it most essays begin with that) then you can pound out 1000 words. But what's actionable about that? Dropbox should succeed in some other way? Because they are succeeding, spectacularly. And changing their fundamental practices could arguably endanger that. No I'm not all about the bro culture; I'm about not twisting culture to fit your favorite PC issue. 'Geeky' is working for them. I'd suggest doing what Stanford does (did? in my day anyway). They work hard to find minorities that fit their culture. Instead of bashing the culture as the problem. Because bashing is just not helpful; and because they're starting with demonstrable value that could be destroyed by misdirected reforms.
- rdl 13y agoBiased hiring practices like...GPA?