Right you are... I used be a Manager at Volvo (Sweden) and I really like their approach to boost the diversity on the workplace. Instead of targets/or lowering the standards they were moving obstacles (childcare, flex work) and focusing on marketing amongst the diversity groups.
That's not a new trend. It's a pretty common path to do a couple of years in big tech, and then use that credential as part of your pitch. "Ex-Google Engineer leaves to Airbnb for Cats"
I share your concern... Started as a manager in a successful scale-up and as usual our engineering staff is white & male (we are hiring from European Timezone). In order to secure the funding round, the higher management has introduced a diversity targets, which is driven aggressively by HR.
Funny enough lots of the European laws forbid asking if the candidate is a member of an "unrepresented" group, so I guess we'll be just eyeballing it??? This won't end good, but one must make a living.
How can you even report to your investors on this diversity? I was under the impression that registering things like sexual/gender/religious identity and "race" are not allowed under GDPR unless you have very good reasons (i would assume securing investment is not one of them).
Depends on the investors but allegedly it is widely spread. And if you want lucrative government contracts, you have to implement it. I think it is overwhelmingly driven by government. Didn't find enough racism so they needed to create it.
Are you actually unaware of the Environmental and Social Governance (ESG) programs?
Many institutional investors - the largest ones - have announced their funding is dependent on ESG scores. I'm fascinated that people on this site can be unaware of this.
Here, I think, lies the problem. Trying to re-frame a negative idea as positive. Involuntary imported labor force instead of a slavery?