Tech startups grapple with diversity in hiring, report finds | Hacker News Reader

Tech startups grapple with diversity in hiring, report finds

denverpost.com

3 pointsendswapper5 comments

"My ask is that you not make a hire until you look at two incredibly qualified women in your candidate pool."

In many cases for a start-up that is freaking impossible. I've forked for giant companies and 9/10 tech resumes are male. Attempting to wait for two highly qualified women given our current hiring pool would take far too long, or force stretching what you mean by qualified (accepting alternative qualifications, etc.). Companies shouldn't make hiring choices based on gender. That is wrong, and likely illegal. Use statistical sampling to ensure the process isn't biased given the applicant pool, but otherwise hire the best, and look beyond skin tone and sex organs for diversity.

I thought that was a very reasonable "ask." There are likely a variety of factors that may affect the make-up of a candidate pool. If there aren't any options then that is the issue. I think it's worthwhile to discuss that. Once you let people know there is an imbalance in your candidate pool you might see a shift.

I have been in the room when an all male team voted to not hire a woman - just in principle. That team was had a myopic view and an emphasis on their "comfort level." To be clear, their arguments were ridiculous, and I was the only one to make the argument for that inclusion.

Unfortunately, if you just work off the stats you will get little diversity because of deeply embedded social biases.

Diversity has value. Acknowledging that, and identifying it when you see it improves an organization.

Um, that was actually illegal? I worked at a place where, once the candidate left one of the guys remarked "Last thing we need working here is a woman". Somebody overheard. That was on Friday. On Monday the department was gone - everybody fired, function outsourced. As damage control, to save the company from lawsuit.

No shortage of lawsuits at the company referred to and they are out of business.

To be honest, that was the only time it resulted in quick action in my experience. Other jobs, similar things happened with no repercussions. In fact one manager told everybody "No way am I going to hire her. Did you see the guys fawning over her? Nothing would get done around here." That manager is now CEO at a Boston company (with offices in Sunnyvale and Munich). I wonder what their hiring statistics are.

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