Do you agree with Affirmative Action in the workplace?

Question

Many corporations now have Affirmative Action policies. Is it better to require a hiring of a diverse group of individuals or to hire someone based on their qualifications? Also if you agree or disagree, what are your supporting arguments?

I really can not pick an answer. So many responses were great. So let the people decide! Vote for the best answer!

Answer 1

No, because I don't agree with racism, and Affirmative Action is Racism.

Martin Luther King, Jr. said it best:
"I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character."

Answer 2

Yes I agree... there is absolutely discrimination against at the very least black people... I dont know about other ethnic groups. I am over 50 years old and have a criminal drug conviction (non-expungeable from 1982, 24 YEARS AGO and been clean and productive since)with 25 years of Operations Management experience including 6 years as Director of National Customer Service for a large retailer. I was rejected for job after job in cust. svs. 4 differnet companies that were hiring from 10-36 reps told me I FAILED THE CUSTOMER SERVICE TEST!!!!!!! They did not say WE DONT WANT YOU because you are old or whatever and you can be sure that black people are getting screwed with this type of unaccountable and unprovable bias.

As a society we must work together and affirmative action even if flawed is better than none.

Answer 3

Disagree. It is racism plain and simple. People should be hired for a position based on their talent, not their race. If I were to hire someone that was less qualified and white over someone who was more qualified but a minority I would be a racist and sued. But if I hire someone who is a minority and less qualified than a more qualified white person, that is OK. Double standards like this hurt everyone.

It hurts the minority who thinks he is only getting a job because of the color of his skin even if that isn't true.

It hurts the most qualified person if they are white, because they may not get hired.

It hurts the companies since they are required to possibly hire some substandard labor and pass over more qualified candidates hurting the companies productivity.

It also creates racism, most people who are racist today aren't like those who were 50 or more years ago. 50 years ago people didn't like minorities because of some horrible misconception that they were inferior genetically. We now know that isn't true. People are racist because of things they see, and when somone, or someone hey know is passed over for a job by a minority they were more qualified for they resent that minority, creating a stir of racism. There are double standards, seeing a scholarship you can't get because your skin is white, even though you are more qualified, or not being able to use certain words that a minority can that a white person can't, makes people angry and creates a resentment. Think about being a kid, and a brother or sister does something you did, and they don't get in trouble but you did, that made you mad at them. It is the same thing now. The difference is, you live with your sibling, and know them, so your anger fades quickly. As a whole, you don't know an entire minority, so your anger builds overtime and never dissipates. You might know individuals of that race, but you think of them as the exception not the rule. When more than likely they are the rule not the exception.

Answer 4

i think in an area as diverse as NYC affirmative action is unecessary. There are so many cultures that it is hard to not work with someone who is from another place. I think it might be necessary in terms of intergrating new areas but in NYC it is unnecessary. There are tons of well qualified people out there regardless of race or ethnicity. If anything that gives them an advantage over non black people. So no, in 2007 I think affirmative action should be abolished simply bc human resource has become more open to hiring all ethnicities. Plus if y ou can get through the backround screening and are qualified why shouldnt u be hired? think its silly to give someone an advantage based ont heir skin color.

Answer 5

Actually i don't, that doesn't mean i'm racist, but employers are trying to hire minorities to keep out of trouble with gov't and its customers. I know that businesses are required to employee a certain percentage of minorities but the many times i have applied and tested for jobs there has not been a high percentage of minorities testing and the emlpoyer may hire one of them to keep in good graces with the community or gov't, and in turn may have not hired the better qualified person fo the job. I am not saying that the minority wasn't qualified, just that he/she may have had the same qualifications as the rest of us and got the job without an interview. Also I think it is unfair to advertise more in a minority's community or recreational place than it is in other places. We all want to work! hire the one that looks for the job, that has initiative!

Answer 6

The idea was sound when it was started but we have grown as a nation since that time. I think by keeping act on the books the power has shifted and it causes an inbalance. I do not feel that hiring a person soley on skin color or gender is a good practice. Today there are to many colleges out there that offer a good education to people of any skin color and/or gender. So I feel that a job should go to the best choice period....

Answer 7

properly, that relies upon...are handicaps in bowling ever honest? the concepts are a similar. The label of "racist" is erroneous and/or deceptive. If someone who's injured makes use of a crutch long after the wear has healed, then use of Affirmative action to safeguard a miles better paying job (use of a "crutch" while none is mandatory) may well be an UNFAIR earnings. yet why grew to become into Affirmative action created interior the 1st place? It grew to become into to point THE playing field for those that have been discriminated against so blatantly and critically over a protracted era of years they have been knocked back maybe 3 or 4 situations for each step forward that they have got been waiting to soak up existence. women human beings have been allowed to hire Affirmative action to triumph over the male dominance component that grew to become into commonplace for thus long. i think of of Affirmative action as coaching WHEELS while gaining expertise of to holiday a bicycle...after a definite point of skillability is executed, those coaching wheels might desire to be bumped off.

Answer 8

Life is not fair. But there are circumstances we know about that make it even less fair for some groups of people.

"Affirmative Action", for all its inherent unfairness, is probably the only way to eventually rebalance the negative marks you start out with in America purely by virtue of being born black.

You didn't own slaves, and I didn't own slaves, but we should still participate in helping clean up the mess slavery made.

I didn't cause Katrina, either, but what kind of idiot would I sound like if I used that as an explanation for not helping those people?

Answer 9

I do not agree with affirmative action. I do not believe that filling a quota justifies your performance at the workplace. It seems like it would be degrading to me but thats only if the person has integrity, otherwise he/she may not care. People should not practice discrimination based on race or orientation at the workplace and if they didn't and went with the best qualified candidates there would not be as much a need for affirmative action. It causes dissension in the workplace so, regardless of how it makes someone feel getting a job it is countered by that. People do not feel it is 'fair' but what is fair in the US anymore? It's not about fair it's about what is right, or is it?
On the other hand it is good to help out people who are less fortunate but thats why there are grants for school and loans for businesses etc.
Capitalism isn't about 'fair' its about what is best. Without capitalism we would not be able to offer such luxuries as offering less qualified candidates jobs.

Answer 10

No. I have my own company. I hire people that I believe will do the best job that they are hired to do. That is who I hire. I don't care what sex they are, what color they are, or their nationality. I hire based simply on their qualifications.

To expect me to give extra "points" for certain groups, or to diversify my employee base is asinine.

In a small company, such as I have, the goal is to be profitable. Everybody wins. Higher wages, better benefits, and a security of a job next week.

I hire based on the quality of the person.

Answer 11

NO. If it's my business and some ppl want to work with me? where doe's the government get off telling me who i can or can't hire? I own the business, not them. I care not what color your skin is, how old you are, or what your gender is, if you're qualified and we agree upon a salary then that's what you get. This year i have adopted that if somebody I hire gives their SS# and drivers license info and all the other little goodies the government thinks they have a right to require. I inform all new that want to work that they will receive a 1099 instead of auto matic withdrawals of deductions because they are in fact personal corporate entities of their own. It has worked out beautifully too as well. And they are much happier to get all their money instead of having it withdrawn. Of course they may pay at the end of the year, but that responsibility lies with them and if they wish, i walk them through how to go about doing it. I'm one small business owner that has had it with this socialist,communist, fascist system disguised as a democracy. so i have implemented my plan to help restore our "Constitutional Representative Republic".