This weekend, I engaged in a profound discussion with a friend regarding the sudden removal of diversity, inclusion, and equity programs within the Tech Community (spanning across various sectors). It was inevitable that such programs would face scrutiny, as the focus on *diversity and inclusion had been misconstrued as solely a concern for the Black community*, rather than a strategic imperative for the entire industry. Embracing diverse perspectives is not just about addressing one group's needs; it is about leveraging a spectrum of viewpoints to drive innovation and create products that cater to a broad audience, ultimately enhancing profitability for all. Even within Blind, there have been expressions of discontent towards initiatives designed to benefit everyone. Anticipating potential rebuttals such as "they only prioritize hiring Black individuals" or "it amounts to reverse discrimination," it is crucial to address these misconceptions. Diversity initiatives are not about favoring one group over another but about leveling the playing field and ensuring equal opportunities for all qualified candidates. It is essential to challenge the notion that diversity efforts equate to unfair advantages or compromise on Ivy company/university-based hiring practices. In response to claims of reverse discrimination, it is important to highlight that effective hiring managers do not make decisions blindly based on demographics but rather seek to recruit individuals based on their skills, qualifications, and potential contributions to the organization. Emphasizing merit-based selection processes reinforces the idea that diversity and inclusion initiatives aim to create a fair and inclusive environment where talent is recognized and valued regardless of background.
It’s wild that you can’t just hire the right person for the job if it ruins your DEI quota. “Oh we have this awesome candidate but unfortunately he’s not black so we can’t hire him right now” is the reality of the situation.
There is no reverse discrimination, there is only discrimination. If you're not hiring solely on merit, you're the problem.
That’s out of touch with reality. Nothing is based solely on merit in corporate America, I’d argue it’s mostly based on the right people liking you, which is entirely subjective. Promotions especially. It’s a dog and pony show to make sure the people higher up than you know you and think highly of you. How many times have you’ve seen a promo or hire get hosed because the candidate rubbed the wrong person, the wrong way? You can put in all the work that you want but at the end of the day if you don’t have any one of substance in your corner you’re going no where.
Either way Dragos is correct that there is no such thing as “reverse discrimination”. Discrimination is not a reversible process. Any time someone is using big words with no defined meaning, your bullshit detector should be going off.
Not black, but do you know nothing of history? Reparation has a freaking point. You’re not gonna die on the streets if your dad has 50 acres of corn farm. Some were denied those fallbacks for decades. Just look up the stat - the majority of net worth of Americans is the home and property they own - passed down over generations. Just stop being so myopic. No one will like you.
Dumb. Just go back further in history and eventually everyone was oppressed.
Go back to yesterday when I oppressed your mom. I bet you’ll be singing a different tune about that. There are Black people alive today who were not allowed to take out mortgages in the mid-20th century.
In theory sure… in practice it’s usually only benefiting a select few groups and is discrimination.
In a high interest rate environment companies can’t afford to keep useless people on payroll.
Where have you seen the effective hiring managers? They only hire if you Rajesh or dei
“Blindly based on demographics” Oh, the irony.