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Diversity and Inclusion in Plaid Engineering

blog.plaid.com

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Re: Diversity and Inclusion in Plaid Engineering

#11

Post by fizx »

nkingsy wrote: post #2

Talked to plaid, went through two long phone interviews before they told me they expected a take home project in addition to another phone screen and an in-person. So sure, diversity as long as you’ve got a spare day or three to jump through their hoops. Doubt I’d see any parents or people over 30 in their diverse pool of people willing to work for free. Edit: if this is your process please notify candidates at the o…

Take-home projects are a band-pass filter on hiring. The best candidates won't bother, the worst candidates can't complete.

Though, honestly, it seems like you could save everyone's time and get similar results screening for university GPA > 3.8.

Re: Diversity and Inclusion in Plaid Engineering

#12

Post by happytoexplain »

brenden2 wrote: post #10

I look forward to the day when people are judged for who they are, not for what they do to someone's arbitrary spreadsheet designed to make the numbers give them a warm and fuzzy feeling.

Can you elaborate on how you get from the stated goal to "numbers that make you feel warm and fuzzy"? I don't think it's a crazy leap, but it sounds like you're taking a very antagonistic stance, and are perhaps letting yourself fall into the trap of oversimplification as a result.

Re: Diversity and Inclusion in Plaid Engineering

#13

Post by lbrooks »

happytoexplain wrote: post #7
lbrooks wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Did you complete the take home assignment? Sounds like you just want them to hire a diverse candidate without making sure they are actually qualified for the job.

The parent post presented an arguable opinion, i.e. the process is unreasonably arduous, which is potentially at odds with their stated values, and, perhaps more importantly, the process was not communicated well. Your reply was to insult them.

Communication is a two way street, I wouldn't immediately blame one party, although you would think they would mention the process from the outset.

'unreasonably arduous'- how would you define that. Really a few phone convos, a take home assignment and showing up for interview is unreasonably arduous for a diverse candidate?

This actually shows to me that the company is not willing to hire someone diverse without properly vetting them. Good for them.

It was an observation. I can't help if they were insulted.

Re: Diversity and Inclusion in Plaid Engineering

#14

Post by dehrmann »

brenden2 wrote: post #10

I look forward to the day when people are judged for who they are, not for what they do to someone's arbitrary spreadsheet designed to make the numbers give them a warm and fuzzy feeling.

Bit late, for this, but

> I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.

Re: Diversity and Inclusion in Plaid Engineering

#15

Post by lbrooks »

fizx wrote: post #11
nkingsy wrote: post #2

Talked to plaid, went through two long phone interviews before they told me they expected a take home project in addition to another phone screen and an in-person. So sure, diversity as long as you’ve got a spare day or three to jump through their hoops. Doubt I’d see any parents or people over 30 in their diverse pool of people willing to work for free. Edit: if this is your process please notify candidates at the o…

Take-home projects are a band-pass filter on hiring. The best candidates won't bother, the worst candidates can't complete. Though, honestly, it seems like you could save everyone's time and get similar results screening for university GPA > 3.8.

They aren't looking for the best though. They are looking for diverse.

GPA's are meaningless now. Grade inflation, etc. Just like the adversity score that will be added to the SAT... making it meaningless... IQ tests are going to replace GPAs for hiring in general.

Re: Diversity and Inclusion in Plaid Engineering

#16

Post by xenocyon »

It's good to see a company openly sharing concrete numbers on diversity even when it doesn't necessarily paint them in a flattering light. This speaks better (to me, at least) than companies which make fluffy noises on diversity but refuse to share actual figures.

Re: Diversity and Inclusion in Plaid Engineering

#17

Post by brenden2 »

dehrmann wrote: post #14
brenden2 wrote: post #10

I look forward to the day when people are judged for who they are, not for what they do to someone's arbitrary spreadsheet designed to make the numbers give them a warm and fuzzy feeling.

Bit late, for this, but > I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.

Yep.

Re: Diversity and Inclusion in Plaid Engineering

#18

Post by Wintamute »

> Building amazing products that power thousands of fintech apps requires us on the Plaid engineering team to empathize with the developers and end users who build and use these apps. To do that well, we need to have a team whose diversity reflects the millions of people Plaid supports.

This is the notion that apparently justifies the entire diversity and inclusion industrial complex - that your ability to empathize with somebody is dependant on sharing certain immutable characteristics, such as your sex or skin color. If the soft bigotry and regressivism of that stance isn't glaringly obvious to people I despair. Almost 60 years since MLK's "I Have a Dream" speech we've managed to invert its message, and calcify it into a lucrative and discriminatory corporate culture.

Re: Diversity and Inclusion in Plaid Engineering

#19

Post by brenden2 »

happytoexplain wrote: post #12
brenden2 wrote: post #10

I look forward to the day when people are judged for who they are, not for what they do to someone's arbitrary spreadsheet designed to make the numbers give them a warm and fuzzy feeling.

Can you elaborate on how you get from the stated goal to "numbers that make you feel warm and fuzzy"? I don't think it's a crazy leap, but it sounds like you're taking a very antagonistic stance, and are perhaps letting yourself fall into the trap of oversimplification as a result.

I'm going to have to pass. Best of luck to you.

Re: Diversity and Inclusion in Plaid Engineering

#20

Post by happytoexplain »

Wintamute wrote: post #18

> Building amazing products that power thousands of fintech apps requires us on the Plaid engineering team to empathize with the developers and end users who build and use these apps. To do that well, we need to have a team whose diversity reflects the millions of people Plaid supports. This is the notion that apparently justifies the entire diversity and inclusion industrial complex - that your ability to empathize…

This seems like a mean-spirited leap. The quote says that they want to have a diverse team because their product's userbase is diverse, and you're saying they don't think people are capable of empathizing with people of a different skin color. Their intentions and/or implementations may not match their stated goal for all I know, but it seems like based on very little you've declared that this quote is racist.
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