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Launch HN: 70MillionJobs (YC S17) – Job board for people with criminal records

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Re: Launch HN: 70MillionJobs (YC S17) – Job board for people with criminal records

#381

Post by civilian »

brooklyn_ashey wrote: post #372
civilian wrote: post #335

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Tech is far less sexist and racist than you think it is. This article isn't about tech specifically, but I think it does demonstrate that if anyone, there is positive-sexism [ed: for women] happening when it comes to recruitment in western workplaces. http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-06-30/bilnd-recruitment-tria... Right now the demographic make up of companies don't match the population, that's true, but these compan…

not even slightly surprised someone piped in with "tech is far less racist and sexist" than I think it is. Being less of that than I think it is would get an afirmative, supportive response, rather than the knee-jerk denial I have come to expect.

Sorry, I just don't see the evidence. I haven't seen it in my personal experience, and I already laid out my take on the demographics.

Is there evidence I'm missing? Besides my willingness to ask for evidence? :]

Re: Launch HN: 70MillionJobs (YC S17) – Job board for people with criminal records

#382

Post by Mz »

will_brown wrote: post #378
Mz wrote: post #341

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't have any bias to check. I am basing my conclusions on your remarks. Perhaps those conclusions are inaccurate. But it is your framing that seems to come from an assumption of guilt. This is neither accurate, nor effective marketing. For some years, I was close to someone who spent three years in prison for their political activism and was questioned under torture. For this reason, I am keenly aware that whenev…

I'm sorry you have dealt with/are dealing with anything like that. >B) Affirming their fundamental innocence is a better marketing strategy than suggesting to employers "your firm is already full of wolves in sheep's clothing, so might as well hire more wolves." Again I'll admit I framed it poorly, but Please reread: >this is my background, this is what I learned and this is my vision of my own future. I did give an…

I don't know why you keep coming back to this. You are talking about how an individual represents themselves to a potential employer. I am talking about branding position for a job board. These are entirely different things and I already addressed that: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14914201

Edit: I am not trying to be gruff. I just have a fever. Apologies for any failure to be smooth here.

Re: Launch HN: 70MillionJobs (YC S17) – Job board for people with criminal records

#383

Post by RonanTheGrey »

ryandrake wrote: post #254
jsmthrowaway wrote: post #210

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Arizona, too, and you’ll find that’s common in tough-on-crime red states. I can petition to have mine “set aside,” but it sticks. I’m fortunate enough to have a great career in the Valley, but it comes up all the time as the upthread comment pointed out. We are looking into gubernatorial pardon (Arizona has a decent process) but not holding my breath.

This is a pretty common American attitude found in many "non red" states as well: As soon as someone commits a crime--any crime and just once--they become a criminal. It's as if their species permanently changed from human to something else. They're not a human that made a bad decision, they are an "other". Since this new thing they have become is not human, all kinds of inhumane and terrible things can be done to th…

So much this.

https://blog.codinghorror.com/they-have-to-be-monsters/

Re: Launch HN: 70MillionJobs (YC S17) – Job board for people with criminal records

#384

Post by brooklyn_ashey »

civilian wrote: post #335
brooklyn_ashey wrote: post #325

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It would be so great if attitudes were changing quickly in a positive direction. In tech, it is still impossible to get your first job after a career change as a woman, a person of color, or a person over say 35. Many of these people fall into one or all three of these categories. In addition to that, they have this ridiculous other hurdle to clear, and tech is still trying to figure out if women can do any technical…

Tech is far less sexist and racist than you think it is. This article isn't about tech specifically, but I think it does demonstrate that if anyone, there is positive-sexism [ed: for women] happening when it comes to recruitment in western workplaces. http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-06-30/bilnd-recruitment-tria... Right now the demographic make up of companies don't match the population, that's true, but these compan…

I don't know what most white people in this country feel, but I can only conclude what they feel from the state of their institutions.--James Baldwin

Re: Launch HN: 70MillionJobs (YC S17) – Job board for people with criminal records

#385

Post by brooklyn_ashey »

civilian wrote: post #381
brooklyn_ashey wrote: post #372

Earlier quoted context omitted.

not even slightly surprised someone piped in with "tech is far less racist and sexist" than I think it is. Being less of that than I think it is would get an afirmative, supportive response, rather than the knee-jerk denial I have come to expect.

Sorry, I just don't see the evidence. I haven't seen it in my personal experience, and I already laid out my take on the demographics. Is there evidence I'm missing? Besides my willingness to ask for evidence? :]

so you aren't seeing evidence of institutional racism, sexism, and ageism in tech? Not in your personal experience? When was the last time you reached out to someone in a marginalized group where you work and asked them about it? You might start with that, in fact we could all start right there. And maybe open with empathy and the assumption that their experience of these is true, rather than demanding evidence. I write you now as evidence of these myself, and how do you respond? How does anyone respond in this thread? Is there overwhelming empathy affirmation and support or is there indignant denial of a person's experience?

Re: Launch HN: 70MillionJobs (YC S17) – Job board for people with criminal records

#386

Post by prawn »

iandanforth wrote: post #137
RBBronson123 wrote: post #76

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You are so right on all your comments. Soon we'll be re-doing the entire site. Perhaps we can talk in several weeks?

I'd add that framing the hiring decision as charity ("giving someone a second chance") could be improved. I'd go for more of a "diamond in the rough" angle. "Find talent everyone else is missing."

This tagline is excellent. OP, seriously consider it!

Once knew a guy online that had done something stupid when he was a teenager. He was a big, scruffy guy and altogether would've been a hard sell to an employer. But he was exceptionally smart and funny - would make a great colleague - and I bet many employers would've overlooked him.

Re: Launch HN: 70MillionJobs (YC S17) – Job board for people with criminal records

#387

Post by bebopmoptop »

Wow, this is great! I was convicted of a crime in my late teens and spent a few years in the federal system because of my conviction. It was an interesting process attempting to gain employment.

It warms to my heart to see jobs that are more open to people with previous convictions - they're some of the most loyal and hardworking people I've encountered.

Keep up the great work!

Re: Launch HN: 70MillionJobs (YC S17) – Job board for people with criminal records

#388

Post by mythrwy »

What is the incentive for employers to use this site?

"Doing the right thing and second chances" doesn't count in this case because it's rare when talking business and isn't dependable.

One possible incentive, (and this is a bit concerning), is employers looking for people who can be paid less and abused more because they don't have many options.

Re: Launch HN: 70MillionJobs (YC S17) – Job board for people with criminal records

#389

Post by powerbook5300CS »

newsreader wrote: post #233

Former career criminal here. Spent 19 years of my adult life in a combination of jail and prison. Longest stint was for 14 consecutive years. Been working in IT for the last 17 years, mostly as a developer. Had a very hard time getting my foot in the door; was denied employment more than once because of my record. Not sure that my current employer is even aware that I have a record, and to be honest I have no plans t…

Thanks for sharing. I'm curious if you already knew the tech stuff before/while committing the crimes or did you learn all that after going through the system?

Re: Launch HN: 70MillionJobs (YC S17) – Job board for people with criminal records

#390

Post by civilian »

brooklyn_ashey wrote: post #385
civilian wrote: post #381

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sorry, I just don't see the evidence. I haven't seen it in my personal experience, and I already laid out my take on the demographics. Is there evidence I'm missing? Besides my willingness to ask for evidence? :]

so you aren't seeing evidence of institutional racism, sexism, and ageism in tech? Not in your personal experience? When was the last time you reached out to someone in a marginalized group where you work and asked them about it? You might start with that, in fact we could all start right there. And maybe open with empathy and the assumption that their experience of these is true, rather than demanding evidence. I wr…

Nope. I see a lot of support for women and minorities in tech-- both in the form of mentoring events, hiring initiatives, networking events, and general cheerleading. I've talked to a lot of women and minorities in casual friendly drinking contexts, and I haven't heard any horror stories. You're right that I should specifically ask them if they've been on the receiving end of bias, and I'm going to.

Maybe I'm just in test-writing mode, but, if there's a bug, we ought to be able to write a test for it. If there is bias in tech, we ought to be able to see it in data. Maybe we need to look at 1st-job hiring rates? Maybe we need to look at people who drop out of tech after their first year and don't return? But I haven't seen it. I'm not asking you to do this data analysis, I just figured that... there are a lot of people examining this, and it should have been uncovered by now.

How have you experienced racism, sexism or ageism in tech?

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