Tell us something we don’t know.

[ultrarunner]

Just an observation:

At my last job of 30 years, the makeup was a good reflection of the local community.

At my current job, we've got about 65 people. There's 1 woman, maybe 2-3 hispanic people, 1 native American, and no black people. Everyone else is white, yet our local population is:

White: 55.89% Black or African American: 25.36% Two or more races: 10.41% Other race: 5.78%

Kinda weird, if you ask me.

Even going back 30 years or so the local police Departments would not pay to send white males to the police academy…

However, if you were a minority or minority female they would recruit you from as far as the East Coast, pay airfare and put you up.

I had a sit down with one of the local Chiefs and he said departments are mandated to reflect the community served…

I then asked how does a white make make a career in Law Enforcement in the Bay Area?

He candidly said put yourself through the acedemy and graduate at the top of your class or apply with military police experience or transfer in with prior Law Enforcement experience.

So 98% of the academy had their tuition covered plus earning a paycheck with benefits to attend but a white male was on the hook for all.

Conversational foreign language listed as interview for bonus points… there was no fine print stating not all languages qualify… so fluent French, German, Italian, Swedish, etc… no bonus.

Also the physical requirements eliminated or became watered down… as to height, moving someone disabled, grip strength, etc.

The police force has greatly changed since then… back in the day we had Chiefs that came up through the ranks and grew up in the city… now we sometimes have chiefs for a few days and gone… and they come from all over the country.

 

[LouNY]

This could reflect a mix of three different factors:

1. The employee demographics are a reflection of qualified applicants. If a given minority is not applying, or those applying are not qualified, then they cannot be hired.

2. The un-represented minorities may be applying and qualified, but beaten by more qualified or otherwise more attractive candidates.

3. Those involved in hiring decisions are racist.

Possibly a mix of all three, to varying degrees.

With #1 being the most prevalent.

 

[Rockbadchild]

I agree, in principle. Unfortunately, we have this anchor of history dragging on us. I'm old enough to remember when female engineering candidates were automatically working from a position of disadvantage in every job interview, with then-senior management who got their degrees in the 1950's. When the hiring manager assumes you're less-qualified off the bat, because of your sex or race, you're going to have a hard time beating out other candidates who are automatically taken more seriously... because of historical norms.

There's no good answer, as quotas and affirmative action have as many or more problems. Fortunately, as social norms change, these problems tend to flush themselves out over time. But a lot of people get caught up in those gears, as they slowly turn.

Side note, my wife is an engineer, and was always the type that the older men at work adored. It was a double-edged sword for her, as she was always "noticed and remembered". Do something great, and it's noticed and remembered. Screw up anything ever, and it's always noticed and remembered.

yes that's not right and it's a shame,
I get what you are saying but we simply can't stop individual bias, it happens both ways just like if you drop your kids at the daycare to a built bearded guy, you and your wife will be skeptical or if you call a interior decorator and again a a built bearded guy show up you and your wife will proceed with caution... A man need to grind to prove himself within the woman world just like a woman need grind to prover herself in the man world. Affirmative action doesn't help the qualification prejudice I would argue it incentivize it.

You can't ask for having a equal representation of man and woman, its not going to happen because of personal interest differences between man and woman, you can't get equal amount of male and female nurse at the hospital just like you can't get the same amount of female and male engineer because in the first cases you will have 3 man for 10 woman applicants and the other case you will have 3 woman for 10 men applicants so out of these odds who is more likely to be the most qualify?

 

[ultrarunner]

It was very difficult for male nurses not that long ago…

The Bias both from nurses and patients.

 

[ponytug]

You keep telling them but they aren't listening.

I'm in favor of celebrating community and commonality, not picking up one's jacks and going home in a huff.

As a fraction of the US GDP, the California economy has only increased a percent or so over the last 25 years. The state produces across a wide variety of industries from agriculture to electronics, as well as being home to two of the three largest deep water ports on the west coast. It just doesn't get a lot of press, in part, I think because it is so diversified.

Equivalent groups of states by economic output, and you could definitely group the states differently;

I am really glad that this is one whole country, not fifty little ones.

And no, economic output doesn't determine value in my book; I just enjoy seeing different perspectives on the world.

All the best,

Peter

 

[Fuddyduddy1952]

That's one little person.

I thought that was a 36hh draft with Lymphangitis and his owner dressed to muck his stall.

 

[MossRoad]

This could reflect a mix of three different factors:

1. The employee demographics are a reflection of qualified applicants. If a given minority is not applying, or those applying are not qualified, then they cannot be hired.

2. The un-represented minorities may be applying and qualified, but beaten by more qualified or otherwise more attractive candidates.

3. Those involved in hiring decisions are racist.

Possibly a mix of all three, to varying degrees.

Has nothing to do with qualifications, as it's unskilled labor.

 

[MossRoad]

I don't know why any of this matters as long as they are the most competent people who apply that got the job. Focusing on equal representation of sex or race in the workforce is bananas focus on competence.

That right there is not a viable reason for these unskilled jobs. Trust me. It's who you know, not what you know.

 

[steve tym]

And it seems people are promoted until they are no longer qualified to do their job.

 

[WinterDeere]

And it seems people are promoted until they are no longer qualified to do their job.

That 1960's Peter Principle stuff is an old way of thinking. The Dilbert Principle later posited that idiots are promoted to management, because that's where they can do the least damage!