Speaking Wrong At The Right Time is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. There has been a lot of dialogue surrounding DEI and some of it is a bit hyperbolic. I wanted to get to the core of the hiring practice by removing the nonsense rhetoric. Enjoy.
Spot on! With more than 30 years of experience in HR, I couldn't have said it better. It is so sad that, for more than 25 years, I saw great progress in my industry. Company incentives rewarded leaders for their results which was effective driving behavior changes and leaders were genuinely committed to hiring the most qualified/top talent for the job. Even as companies started tracking statistics (for Affirmative Action), the actions I saw companies taking were focused on the root cause; in my industry not enough females and minorities were graduating with technical degrees. Instead of forcing hires, companies created external programs to reward employees (in STEM roles) for participating in grade school and high school outreach programs to spark interest and provide support for those to pursue a STEM degree (and internal mentoring programs to expedite learning).
Over the past few years, I've seen a huge shift in how companies are incentiving and pressuring leaders to hire based on diversity quotas. I'm very concerned that this DEI movement won't result in helping anyone be more successful and may discourage many from striving to do their very best.
I think the case the stockholders have brought against Boeing (for prioritizing DEI over skill and safety) could have a very big impact on how companies operate going forward.
People are people, and in the West, we've seen a lot — both tyranny and fights for freedom. History shows that societies have a knack for bouncing back from power abuses. Although each situation is unique, the dedication to safeguarding personal freedoms and constructing democratic systems has been a major force in the West. Staying watchful and getting involved in civic matters are key to keeping these values strong today.
Spot on! With more than 30 years of experience in HR, I couldn't have said it better. It is so sad that, for more than 25 years, I saw great progress in my industry. Company incentives rewarded leaders for their results which was effective driving behavior changes and leaders were genuinely committed to hiring the most qualified/top talent for the job. Even as companies started tracking statistics (for Affirmative Action), the actions I saw companies taking were focused on the root cause; in my industry not enough females and minorities were graduating with technical degrees. Instead of forcing hires, companies created external programs to reward employees (in STEM roles) for participating in grade school and high school outreach programs to spark interest and provide support for those to pursue a STEM degree (and internal mentoring programs to expedite learning).
Over the past few years, I've seen a huge shift in how companies are incentiving and pressuring leaders to hire based on diversity quotas. I'm very concerned that this DEI movement won't result in helping anyone be more successful and may discourage many from striving to do their very best.
I think the case the stockholders have brought against Boeing (for prioritizing DEI over skill and safety) could have a very big impact on how companies operate going forward.
People are people, and in the West, we've seen a lot — both tyranny and fights for freedom. History shows that societies have a knack for bouncing back from power abuses. Although each situation is unique, the dedication to safeguarding personal freedoms and constructing democratic systems has been a major force in the West. Staying watchful and getting involved in civic matters are key to keeping these values strong today.
I agree