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Microsoft probed by US government over aim to double black staff numbers

bbc.com

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Re: Microsoft probed by US government over aim to double black staff numbers

#11

Post by emodendroket »

marcinzm wrote: post #6
umvi wrote: post #2

> "We are clear that the law prohibits us from discriminating on the basis of race," the firm's lawyer Dev Stahlkopf blogged. Pardon my ignorance... But I thought in the case of affirmative action, discrimination based on race was legal? Reading on... > It has informed the tech giant that while companies can set affirmative action goals to boost employment of "minorities and women", they "must not engage in discrimin…

>How can you achieve affirmative action if you can't discriminate on the basis of race? Interview training to minimize implicit bias in the interview process. Interview training to minimize acts that make certain groups uncomfortable. Removing employees from the interview pool who show a racial bias. Resume review that omits names and other racial indicators. Etc.

> Interview training to minimize implicit bias in the interview process. Interview training to minimize acts that make certain groups uncomfortable.

I would like to see some evidence that this actually achieves the desired outcome.

Re: Microsoft probed by US government over aim to double black staff numbers

#13

Post by xvector »

umvi wrote: post #2

> "We are clear that the law prohibits us from discriminating on the basis of race," the firm's lawyer Dev Stahlkopf blogged. Pardon my ignorance... But I thought in the case of affirmative action, discrimination based on race was legal? Reading on... > It has informed the tech giant that while companies can set affirmative action goals to boost employment of "minorities and women", they "must not engage in discrimin…

Affirmative action needs to die. As an Asian, I hate that I have to work harder just to get the same opportunities.

Affirmative action is simply racism against minorities that “don’t matter” to the public narrative in favor of minorities that “do matter.”

Imagine telling an Asian child that they have to work way harder because of their race. While their friends get to go out and play, they have to sit down and study because of a condition they were born with. It’s abhorrent.

Now this same racism is carrying into the job market. No thanks.

Re: Microsoft probed by US government over aim to double black staff numbers

#15

Post by lallysingh »

umvi wrote: post #5
cyberlurker wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Hire from historically black schools could be one legal method.

Discriminating which schools you hire from based on racial demographics of said schools just seems like racial discrimination by proxy

Dude that's a rabbit hole as deep as American history.

Re: Microsoft probed by US government over aim to double black staff numbers

#16

Post by whoisjuan »

Not commenting about the merits of this specific probe, but here is a thought. African Americans are 13% of the US Population. Isn't it reasonable to aspire to have at least 13% of African American staff (proportionally adjusted per state/city populations)? This is a rhetoric question, what causes that to not be the case.

The article doesn't mention the numbers but when a particular race is disproportionately less represented in corporations than its general population equivalent, then clearly there's a broken piece somewhere in the equation.

I'm not even taking a political stance on this one. This is just the mathematical sound interpretation. If every person should have the same opportunities then the corporate populations should be a proxy of the general population proportions.

Re: Microsoft probed by US government over aim to double black staff numbers

#17

Post by eplanit »

umvi wrote: post #2

> "We are clear that the law prohibits us from discriminating on the basis of race," the firm's lawyer Dev Stahlkopf blogged. Pardon my ignorance... But I thought in the case of affirmative action, discrimination based on race was legal? Reading on... > It has informed the tech giant that while companies can set affirmative action goals to boost employment of "minorities and women", they "must not engage in discrimin…

I guess the best way to defeat perceived "systemic racism" is to institute actual systemic racism. Moral failure.

Re: Microsoft probed by US government over aim to double black staff numbers

#18

Post by elisbce »

Any affirmative action is by definition discriminating on the basis of race. If you want the best candidate for the job, you don't look at race, you look at their abilities to do the job. Period. Any bias towards hiring one race implies bias against hiring from other races. Why is it okay to have almost no Asian players in the NBA while a small percentage of black people in tech is a big fuss? It is all hypocrisy.

Re: Microsoft probed by US government over aim to double black staff numbers

#20

Post by awakeasleep »

lallysingh wrote: post #15
umvi wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Discriminating which schools you hire from based on racial demographics of said schools just seems like racial discrimination by proxy

Dude that's a rabbit hole as deep as American history.

I think discrimination happened even before America was founded!
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