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If you care about diversity, don't just hire from the same five schools

blog.interviewing.io

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Re: If you care about diversity, don't just hire from the same five schools

#4

Honestly, I think the socioeconomic status of your parents should be more heavily waited in "diversity" measures than skin color.

I agree. Unfortunately, that data is much harder to glean than phenotypically (somewhat) obvious traits like gender and skin color. Sigh.

The official term for this is "distance traveled", and there's a bit more about it here: https://medium.com/kapor-the-bridge/dear-investors-so-you-wa...

Re: If you care about diversity, don't just hire from the same five schools

#5
This is a good idea in theory, but the problem in practice is that for every Emily or Anthony, there are a hundred students at 2nd and 3rd tier universities who, partly through their own failures and partly due to the unfortunate circumstances they’re in, are completely incompetent. I often find that those who are so keen on “hiring broadly” have never worked in a company that hires primarily from Podunk State - your expectations of your employees have to be so much lower.

The key is not to focus on the schools (rather than to focus extra on state schools). Instead, develop methods for identifying talent based on its own merits, regardless of where it is or what university it went to.

Re: If you care about diversity, don't just hire from the same five schools

#6

Honestly, I think the socioeconomic status of your parents should be more heavily waited in "diversity" measures than skin color.

Diversity has departed from it's root meaning. Or else is currently being used in in a more limited context. For example: Lesbian is diversity. Appalachian accent or over 50 is not diversity but poor cultural fit.

Re: If you care about diversity, don't just hire from the same five schools

#8

This is a good idea in theory, but the problem in practice is that for every Emily or Anthony, there are a hundred students at 2nd and 3rd tier universities who, partly through their own failures and partly due to the unfortunate circumstances they’re in, are completely incompetent. I often find that those who are so keen on “hiring broadly” have never worked in a company that hires primarily from Podunk State - your…

That's why we're really proud of what we do at interviewing.io. All students have to go through a series of practice interviews, so by the time they talk to companies, we know they're great, and so far, most of the students we've presented have gotten offers, independently of their backgrounds.

With our model, we free up companies from having to worry about exactly what you described because we incur the vetting.

Re: If you care about diversity, don't just hire from the same five schools

#9

Honestly, I think the socioeconomic status of your parents should be more heavily waited in "diversity" measures than skin color.

Agree, though at least in America those two things are more related than your comment would appear to suggest.

Re: If you care about diversity, don't just hire from the same five schools

#10
I was an undergraduate at a no-name university for various personal reasons. A Google, Microsoft and other big tech co offices were nearby. Throughout my undergrad, not a single event, talk or recruiting opportunity emerged. I understand this: the top people are the same everywhere but it does not economically make sense to do events to potentially hire 1-2 people.

I am now at a world famous grad school and there are talks, events, opportunities every week. I would say the best 5% at the undergraduate school were approximately at least as good as the average undergraduate here.

Unfortunately, economically it makes sense to focus recruiting events only at certain schools.

How could companies reach the great students at unknown schools systematically?

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