Beth3,
Thanks for the reply. I do not believe my company has any specific quotas. Here is a recent post and an answer to a corporate internal Q/A web site that speaks to the quota question (it seems others here are asking about this companies hiring policies, this wasn't the only question...). This answer was provided by the senior vice president of human resources. I have x'ed out the company name. Note the last paragraph in her response:
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Q I understand that xxxxx is trying to increase its diversity and that special hiring arrangements are in place for certain minorities. Is this true? If so, this strikes me as unfair and possibly discriminatory.
A It is true that xxxxx is committed to seeking out and hiring truly outstanding external candidates with special skills, even though a job requisition may not be currently open. Our objective here is simple: to hire the best and the brightest people before our competitors do. You may have heard this called "silver bullet" hiring. Although it is getting more attention now due to its use to expand our diversity, we have done this kind of hiring for as long as xxxxx has been in existence.
Why are we using this process to increase our diversity? To do exactly that, increase our diversity. xxxxx is not currently a leader in representation of women in grades 7+, exempt African-Americans, and Hispanics at senior levels. Thus we are on the lookout for candidates here who might be exceptional.
The actual numbers of underrepresented minority candidates available each year in the job market are extremely small. For example, in electrical and computer engineering, U.S. universities produced only 29 Hispanic and just 37 African-American Ph.D.s in 2003. We need to be able to act promptly and nimbly to recruit some of these top candidates.
This is key: We believe as a corporation that hiring the very best talent, of all demographics, from all across the labor pool, will make us stronger as a company, and advance our global leadership position. A truly diverse workforce enriches us with different opinions, experiences, and viewpoints. A diverse workforce helps guide us toward wiser business decisions that benefit stockholders, customers, and employees.
A fundamental principle we follow in all our hiring is that candidates must be highly qualified. We will never "set aside" jobs or opportunities for lesser or unqualified candidates, nor do we establish "quotas" of any kind. Our strong meritocracy tradition and culture demands that we hire only those individuals whom we believe will be very successful at xxxxx. Our diverse candidates fit that bill and any implication to the contrary is simply inaccurate.
xxxxxx xxxxxx, senior vice president
Human Resources
