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>Given the underrepresentation of women in tech I think I'm ok with them being chosen over satisfying your ambitions. There is so much wrong with this. You do

by ra1n85 12y ago

>Given the underrepresentation of women in tech I think I'm ok with them being chosen over satisfying your ambitions. There is so much wrong with this. You do no justice to anyone when you discount merit in the pursuit of ham-handed ratios.

themartorana 12y ago
Agreed. A company that hires no women will likely be at a disadvantage to the competition. Hiring diversely is an asset. While I'd like to fast-forward to a time where gender is in fact equal in most things, I think a much better way to start is to remove gender, race, etc. from college and work applications altogether. What would happen if we let merit and drive determine outcomes above all other things? Maybe there are caveats I'm not considering.
- dylukes 12y ago
  More likely than not people start yelling loudly about who's advertising their skills better. In the end not enough businesses and institutions are equipped to accurately assess skill. So rather than being hired based on skill, what you'd really be hired based on is perceived skill. The people who can sell themselves and spin their skills will continue to thrive, the people who can't but have skills will find niches to do their work, and the people who don't have either will complain that the first two groups are being "pushy" or have an unfair advantage because they're selling themselves better. Something like that. Edit: even if we could measure skill... how? I don't suspect it's always an objectively measurable thing. e.g. most people who seek out psychiatric help want to find someone who is good fit for them and they can trust and talk to, not the "state's top ranked psychiatrist" (who is inherently intimidating).
  - kaybe 12y ago
    Here is a relevant paper for this: https://www.nber.org/papers/w5903 https://www.nber.org/papers/w5903 (1997) Essentially, they found that switching to blind auditing for orchestra musician positions raised the ratio of women hired severalfold. Thus, people' skill is (was?) rated lower if it is known they are female.
- smorrow 12y ago
  "I think a much better way to start is to remove gender, race, etc. from college and work applications altogether." There's such a thing as interviews, though.

by ra1n85 12y ago

themartorana 12y ago

Agreed. A company that hires no women will likely be at a disadvantage to the competition. Hiring diversely is an asset. While I'd like to fast-forward to a time where gender is in fact equal in most things, I think a much better way to start is to remove gender, race, etc. from college and work applications altogether. What would happen if we let merit and drive determine outcomes above all other things? Maybe there are caveats I'm not considering.

dylukes 12y ago
More likely than not people start yelling loudly about who's advertising their skills better. In the end not enough businesses and institutions are equipped to accurately assess skill. So rather than being hired based on skill, what you'd really be hired based on is perceived skill. The people who can sell themselves and spin their skills will continue to thrive, the people who can't but have skills will find niches to do their work, and the people who don't have either will complain that the first two groups are being "pushy" or have an unfair advantage because they're selling themselves better. Something like that. Edit: even if we could measure skill... how? I don't suspect it's always an objectively measurable thing. e.g. most people who seek out psychiatric help want to find someone who is good fit for them and they can trust and talk to, not the "state's top ranked psychiatrist" (who is inherently intimidating).
- kaybe 12y ago
  Here is a relevant paper for this: https://www.nber.org/papers/w5903 https://www.nber.org/papers/w5903 (1997) Essentially, they found that switching to blind auditing for orchestra musician positions raised the ratio of women hired severalfold. Thus, people' skill is (was?) rated lower if it is known they are female.
smorrow 12y ago
"I think a much better way to start is to remove gender, race, etc. from college and work applications altogether." There's such a thing as interviews, though.