This isn't bait. I truly want to hear some well-founded opinions based on what I'm seeing in my workplace. Is diversity of race, gender, and culture a potential factor of excellence?
Over the last two years, the company I work for (historically conservative, Fortune 250, 30k+ employees) has very abruptly gone full throttle on the self proclamation and direct solicitation of one of societies favorite buzzwords: "diversity".
Let me be clear that I'm not listing the below in a negative light. I'm socially of the mind frame "you do you so long as it doesn't effect me". I only list them like this to convey the scope of the change. Its a huge initiative for a company this size, in just 2 years, to create and fund all of this simultaneously. I'll get to why I'm wondering if its problematic below.
LGBTQ
Women
Race
My hiring experience recently, really sparked this post. It stems from the rhetoric we hear a lot that diversity (race, gender, religion, culture) equates to better decision making from that melting pot of life experiences and perspectives.
Its obviously a really nuanced discussion. Honestly when I was on a college campus and was feeling the pressure to give a Hispanic (<insert any minority race here), female's (<insert any of the genders besides male here) résumé a more a serious look, than say, a more impressive white male's resume, it felt wrong.
I'm not employed at Google. I'm in IT and we do work closely with them from time to time, so its a relative example for me and everyone else I suppose. Including images from their Diversity page...
*TL/DR - Does the superficial diversity of skin color, gender, culture and/or religion bring about the possibility of better decision making AKA success in the workplace as compared to a less diverse team or group?
Over the last two years, the company I work for (historically conservative, Fortune 250, 30k+ employees) has very abruptly gone full throttle on the self proclamation and direct solicitation of one of societies favorite buzzwords: "diversity".
Let me be clear that I'm not listing the below in a negative light. I'm socially of the mind frame "you do you so long as it doesn't effect me". I only list them like this to convey the scope of the change. Its a huge initiative for a company this size, in just 2 years, to create and fund all of this simultaneously. I'll get to why I'm wondering if its problematic below.
LGBTQ
- Announced to employees and public to be sponsoring a local LGBTQ pride parade each year and solicits employees to attend
- Created inclusion groups at every office that meets monthly, promotes activities to employees, etc
- Promotes hiring/promoting of all genders, sexual orientations, etc
Women
- Created multiple groups promoting women in certain industries; especially IT.
- Monitors/screens in and around the places we work mentioning gender pay gap, women rights, etc
- Established hiring quotas for each gender (anecdotal evidence from recently being involved in campus hiring)
Race
- Created inclusion groups, special "weeks", or speaking engagements for every race even including Native Americans and get this...the whites.
- Promotes hiring / promoting
My hiring experience recently, really sparked this post. It stems from the rhetoric we hear a lot that diversity (race, gender, religion, culture) equates to better decision making from that melting pot of life experiences and perspectives.
- But does it?
- Where did this come from? Studies? Empirical evidence?
- How do you relate a groups diversity to success without quantifying skill and qualifications first?
Its obviously a really nuanced discussion. Honestly when I was on a college campus and was feeling the pressure to give a Hispanic (<insert any minority race here), female's (<insert any of the genders besides male here) résumé a more a serious look, than say, a more impressive white male's resume, it felt wrong.
I'm not employed at Google. I'm in IT and we do work closely with them from time to time, so its a relative example for me and everyone else I suppose. Including images from their Diversity page...
*TL/DR - Does the superficial diversity of skin color, gender, culture and/or religion bring about the possibility of better decision making AKA success in the workplace as compared to a less diverse team or group?
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