The Diverse Interview Team
We live in an age where we value diversity, now more than ever before. In the workplace capturing, tracking, and reporting on diversity hiring is an important and in many cases legal necessity. Normally this takes the form of asking candidates to provide gender, race, and sometimes veteran status information in order to ensure that the company is hiring from a diverse candidate pool. Ever wonder about the inverse? What if a company wanted to ensure that the people conducting the hiring process and specifically the interviews were diverse as well.
I recently became aware of a company, let’s call them ABC Co., that’s attempting to do just that. What ABC wants is software that would allow them to select interview teams based upon gender and race. Sort of seems harmless until you think about what that would entail, which is essentially that every person who hires or participates in the hiring process would be labeled by gender and race. In other words, Joe Smith goes from being Joe Smith to Joe Smith, M, Black. This is much different that asking a candidate to provide this information as candidate EEO data is never viewable during the selection process and is only available via reporting, but again not specifically by name. What ABC is doing to labeling their employees, all in the name of diversity. I have a hunch ABC’s legal department will kill this initiative, but it does beg the question; how far is too far in the name of diversity? Your thoughts? Would you want to be labeled? If we added sexual orientation to the mix would this change your view?
Until next time…
It’s President Obama According to Job Seekers
With just more than a week until the presidential election, more and more polls seem to be indicating that Barack Obama will likely be moving into the White House come January. This trend is reinforced among job seekers according to a recent Beyond.com poll. The poll, comprised of over 38,000 job seekers/registered voters shows Sen Obama with 53% to McCain’s 33%.
Here’s part of the press release from Beyond.com, to read more or to join Beyond’s discussion click here.
Everyone in America is feeling the pressure of the economic crisis, especially job seekers that are currently looking for a job during a time when no one is hiring and the national unemployment rate is on the rise. As the economy continues to decline, job seekers are realizing the need for change, and are putting their faith in Barack Obama to help revitalize the economy and stabilize the job market. In a previous poll, Beyond.com reported 86 percent of professionals believe that the economy and job market will improve as a result of the 2008 Presidential election.
“Job seekers have a lot at stake with the upcoming election, and are taking a stance on which Presidential candidate would be the best leader for America,” says Rich Milgram, CEO of Beyond.com. “There is no question in anyone’s mind that change is what our country needs to pull through this economic recession, which is why the majority of job seekers are voting for Obama in the hopes that it will help improve the economy and get them back to work as soon as possible.”
Until next time..
Help, I’ve Become a Morning Person!
All my life I’ve despised, but secretly admired morning people. They’re always so chipper and happy in the morning and they’re always so proud of what they get done before the rest of us get started. Living in the desert, mornings are the one time of day when it’s not 110, but they always start so early, so needless to say it’s been a long distance relationship for the most part, at least until recently.
Those of us with little kids or dogs with small bladders, know that some morning duty is required, but for the most part we partake only until we can make it safely back under the covers. As a newish second time dad, I’ve been thrown back into the throes of morning duty. My little girl is usually up by 6:30 or so, not a wholly ungodly hour, but still when she’s up, I’m up. Did I mention I love coffee more everyday? I don’t know if it’s her early to rise habits or if I’m just getting older, but recently when I wanted to find a block of time to write each day, the only time that seemed available was the 5-6:30am slot.
The first few days were rough. I like watching the sunrise and all, but at 5am, I’m waiting on the sun a while. But a funny thing happened in all this, my internal clock seemed to take over. What I’d initially envisioned as a 4-5 time a week activity is now an everyday occurrence. So much so that I barely need my 5am alarm anymore. And as for staying up late, forget about that, my eyes are getting heavy at 9pm. I feel like I’m turning into Seinfeld’s parents. Can 4:3opm dinner be far behind? Hello earlybird special!
The good news is my writing has taken off. I’ve been able to post more here and look at some ways to broaden this site, but more importantly my novel is chugging along in high gear. With any luck I’ll have it finished by the end of the year. Not sure what I’ll do after it’s finished, but at least I know I’ll have plenty of time to do it.
Until next time…
