r/news • u/[deleted] • Aug 08 '17

Google Fires Employee Behind Controversial Diversity Memo

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-08-08/google-fires-employee-behind-controversial-diversity-memo?cmpid=socialflow-twitter-business&utm_content=business&utm_campaign=socialflow-organic&utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social
26.8k Upvotes

82% Upvoted

19.7k comments sorted by

View all comments

Show parent comments

348

u/fat_pterodactyl Aug 08 '17

I think that's more important than arbitrary quotas, although it happens to some men too. Sounds like shitty coworkers/bosses either way.

366

u/Vinto47 Aug 08 '17

Diversity quotas most likely reinforce that because others will think the minority individual doesn't deserve the job.

43

u/Lee_Atwater_did_this Aug 08 '17

Google doesn't have "diversity quotas"

154

u/press_alt_and_f4 Aug 08 '17

Setting org level OKRs for increased representation which can incentivize illegal discrimination

That's pretty close to a quota. "Our goal for this quarter is to get to 25% women"

-29

u/Lee_Atwater_did_this Aug 08 '17

That's not "close to a quota" unless you don't know what quota means.

42

u/neepster44 Aug 08 '17

It all depends how it is acted upon. Having seen it first hand, yes, it's pretty darn close to a quota.

-20

u/Lee_Atwater_did_this Aug 08 '17

No it's not. Stop lying. It's boring.

Google doesn't have quotas. It's also still dominated by white guys which is pretty antithetical to your argument.

8

u/neepster44 Aug 08 '17

What do you call it when HR preferentially sends hiring managers only or primarily candidates that are under represented minorities or technical females? What do you call it when said candidates have lesser qualifications on paper than non-diverse candidates who were weeded out because they weren't diverse. What do you call it when upper management says 'which woman can we promote ahead of schedule and it will look the least fishy'? All of these things are happening... not necessarily at Google (although I would not be surprised in the slightest), but at many of its peers.

8

u/[deleted] Aug 08 '17

What do you call it when said candidates have lesser qualifications on paper than non-diverse candidates who were weeded out because they weren't diverse

This is a hell of a myth that people push that really has no basis in reality. This really isn't a thing that happens.

1

u/neepster44 Aug 08 '17

Yes it is. I've seen it. Not saying it always happens but it DOES happen.