I'm in favor of diversity hiring initiatives as long as they are done carefully, and the reason why is "to fight confirmation bias."
I read a study a few years ago about an orchestra in New York that started doing blind auditions. I don't remember the exact numbers, but my takeaway was twofold: (1) even with blind auditions, there was still a gap between the probability of female and male candidates actually making the cut; (2) the gap was significantly smaller with blind auditions. What that says to me is that even when there is a real difference in ability between two subpopulations, hiring managers can be overbiased by their past experience, more than the difference in actual performance justifies.
Sure, maybe women are better nurses than men, but not necessarily THAT much better, that often.
So the fact that Microsoft is taking modest steps to increase the number and promotion rates of under-represented demographics including women is, to my eye, a reasonable step to take. It would be unreasonable to ever expect all demographics to have equal representation in every profession, but it's reasonable to think that confirmation bias may play some role in hiring and promotion decisions at Microsoft, and to be deliberately looking for opportunities to let under-represented groups achieve great things.
That's my opinion.
~B.C.
--
If I esteem mankind to be in error, shall I bear them down? No. I will lift them up, and in their own way too, if I cannot persuade them my way is better; and I will not seek to compel any man to believe as I do, only by the force of reasoning, for truth will cut its own way.
"Thou shalt love thy wife with all thy heart, and shalt cleave unto her and none else."
I read a study a few years ago about an orchestra in New York that started doing blind auditions. I don't remember the exact numbers, but my takeaway was twofold: (1) even with blind auditions, there was still a gap between the probability of female and male candidates actually making the cut; (2) the gap was significantly smaller with blind auditions. What that says to me is that even when there is a real difference in ability between two subpopulations, hiring managers can be overbiased by their past experience, more than the difference in actual performance justifies.
Sure, maybe women are better nurses than men, but not necessarily THAT much better, that often.
So the fact that Microsoft is taking modest steps to increase the number and promotion rates of under-represented demographics including women is, to my eye, a reasonable step to take. It would be unreasonable to ever expect all demographics to have equal representation in every profession, but it's reasonable to think that confirmation bias may play some role in hiring and promotion decisions at Microsoft, and to be deliberately looking for opportunities to let under-represented groups achieve great things.
That's my opinion.
~B.C.
--
If I esteem mankind to be in error, shall I bear them down? No. I will lift them up, and in their own way too, if I cannot persuade them my way is better; and I will not seek to compel any man to believe as I do, only by the force of reasoning, for truth will cut its own way.
"Thou shalt love thy wife with all thy heart, and shalt cleave unto her and none else."
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