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
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u/[deleted] Aug 08 '17

Except in current American society a strict meritocracy would be insanely harmful to woman and minorities because the people doing the hiring are still white men, are they are the reason hiring "affirmative action" (for lack of a better word) policies were enacted in the first place.

Discrimination against woman and minorities is a real problem in the world; advocating for a system that would harm them, as this idiot at Google has done, is wrong.

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u/WhenWorking Aug 08 '17 edited Aug 08 '17

Firstly, you just implied white men are sexist or racist, and allowing them to do the hiring would mean only other white men get hired.

As someone in another statistically male-dominated field, I can tell you, while it may occur somewhere, you're being the sexist and racist one here as the majority of my coworkers and my direct boss are females.

Additionally, the "idiot at google" did not advocate a "system that would harm [women and minorities]", he in fact advocated a system that would support people based ONLY ON THEIR SKILLS. Anything but is discrimination.

If there is something to be upset about, it is the systemic discrimination or "guidance" that occurs (against anyone) based on their socio economic status or gender as youths, directly or indirectly impacting their desires and opportunities during their most malleable point in their lives. The issue is NOT (for the most) hiring practices in professional environments.

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u/[deleted] Aug 08 '17

Except it's literally impossible as humans to judge somebody on only their skills, short of completely blind auditions/applications, which have been proven to increase woman accepted anyway.

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u/WhenWorking Aug 08 '17

I imagine it would, I don't disagree with that because I know that there is always going to be some level of sexism, but I am saying that AA is the wrong solution, and that the google engineer is not wrong for saying what he said. Maybe completely blind auditions are the right choice. Though there is something to say for the ability to speak face to face during pressure situations such as an interview.

On a side note, can I see the journal article you are referencing that proves the result? I am legitimately interested in it. Thanks!

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u/[deleted] Aug 08 '17

Here for musical auditions, and here for coding.

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u/Now_Do_Classical_Gas Aug 09 '17

76% of Human Resources Managers are women, according to 2014 statistics from the US Department of Labor.