Wednesday, July 11, 2012

10304: Redefine Diversity Or Define Adversity?

Wanted to toss in an additional two cents regarding the Christopher Boulton PowerPoint perspective spotlighted in the previous post. It’s interesting how folks often feel the need to rebrand or redefine diversity, as if the mere word induces ignorance, inaction, irritation and insanity. There is certainly validity to the notion, as the phrase has gained a lot of negative baggage over the years. At the same time, is it really a matter of rethinking diversity, or does it perhaps entail clearly articulating the core issue? That is, let’s focus on the list of Best Practices forwarded by Boulton:

1. Stop Must-Hiring

2. Empower HR (Entry-Level Hires)

3. Spend Money (Higher Wages)

4. Explain MAIP (In The Present)

5. Build Cross-Cultural Mentorships

6. Honor Individuality (Within Race)

7. Admit General Market = White

Forget consulting a thesaurus. Rather, call a spade a spade. The problem is not with diversity. It’s about accurately labeling the industry’s current hiring practices as outdated, exclusive, discriminatory and racist.

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