Competency first, not race

Diversity is important but not at the cost of competency and qualifications.

Hiring people just to fill some arbitrary diversification quota or mandate is a disfavour to everyone. It, in itself, causes the very issue you’re trying to prevent and improve upon. You should be hiring someone based on what they can do for your company or bottom line. You’re hiring them to make you more money, improve your company and bring more and more skill sets.

If you hire someone based on skin color, race, religion, place of birth, sexual identity and many others that’s the issue most are trying to avoid. So how can you do the very thing you’re trying not to do and call it the opposite? It cancels itself out totally and nothing is really done.

If you are hired based on your skill, qualifications, experience and education that about as neutral/ unbiased as you’re going to get. It could be one, some and or all that get you the job.

Now there are some jobs where your gender, race, religion ect. might be the very thing they are looking for. These are very specific areas, jobs or positions you’re applying for and if you don’t meet them, you don’t. It’s not a mark of bias but a condition of what they are looking for in order to further their brand, marketing, items and services.

You also have to look at a population if there is a large section that is one race, religion, ethnic background or any number of factors that play into what your workforce will look like. It’s almost entirely a numbers game in terms of what your work place might look like.

It doesn’t mean that your workplace isn’t diverse or that your boss is bias. It can simply mean that because of the numbers in the different population’s people wise that statistically speaking some or all might fall into one or two sections.

Some cultures and groups of people place different significance on different areas and occupations. This is based on many factors such as how they were raised, where they come from, their own upbringing, education, and many others. So If I were to hire someone its entirely based on what they can do for me and my company.

We have seen this fail over and over again, it is pretty much a regression and not a progression in 90% of instances.

Shawn Hathaway