Intel commits $300 million to workplace diversity

[The Berean]

Intel commits $300 million to workplace diversity

LAS VEGAS -- Under fire along with other tech companies for its lack of diversity, Intel on Tuesday said it plans to dramatically increase the number of women and minority workers it employs within five years and will commit $300 million to the effort.

The company's announcement makes it the first major Silicon Valley company to set goals to increase the diversity of its workforce amid a growing debate about the issue.


What say you, TOL? :think:

 

[rexlunae]

Good for them. I hope it works.

 

[tetelestai]

What say you, TOL? :think:

Why don't we just put all the white Christian men in camps so that women and minorities can be in charge of everything?

That's the only way Liberals will ever be satisfied.

 

[The Berean]

Two things that bother me are:

1) There's an implication that high tech companies are going out of their way to NOT hire women and minorities. This is completely false. Most Silicon Valley high tech companies, as part of their mission/vision statements, value and desire a diverse workforce. They want to be known for their diversity.

2) This will further make it more difficult for minority and women because many people will assume that they only got their jobs because they were female or a minority.

I work for a major aerospace company in Palo Alto, CA and in my engineering group alone women and minorities probably make up close to 70% of our group. My manager is a minority as well. Our group has three managers and one of the other two managers is a woman and a minority.

 

[Tambora]

Intel commits $300 million to workplace diversity

LAS VEGAS -- Under fire along with other tech companies for its lack of diversity, Intel on Tuesday said it plans to dramatically increase the number of women and minority workers it employs within five years and will commit $300 million to the effort.

The company's announcement makes it the first major Silicon Valley company to set goals to increase the diversity of its workforce amid a growing debate about the issue.


What say you, TOL? :think:

A very rotten business choice.

Sounds more like a charity function than a business function.

To run a successful business, you must hire the folks that are most qualified for the job, and have a reliable way to get to work.
Qualifications can vary per the job description.

 

[Eeset]

Oh whoopee, Intel is going to use less than one half of one percent of its annual revenue to increase diversity. And since that is for a multi year program it becomes an even smaller percent. With 107,000 employees that equals about 2,800 per existing job slot or $934 per year per employee if it is a 3 year program. By way of contrast In March 2014, it was reported that Intel would embark upon a $6 billion plan to expand its activities in Israel.

 

[The Berean]

Oh whoopee, Intel is going to use less than one half of one percent of its annual revenue to increase diversity. And since that is for a multi year program it becomes an even smaller percent. With 107,000 employees that equals about 2,800 per existing job slot or $934 per year per employee if it is a 3 year program. By way of contrast In March 2014, it was reported that Intel would embark upon a $6 billion plan to expand its activities in Israel.

So I gather you are not very impressed by Intel's pledge for more diversity then, Esset?

 

[rexlunae]

Two things that bother me are:

1) There's an implication that high tech companies are going out of their way to NOT hire women and minorities. This is completely false. Most Silicon Valley high tech companies, as part of their mission/vision statements, value and desire a diverse workforce. They want to be known for their diversity.

I don't know that that's accurate. But whatever they're trying to do, the fact of the matter is that they aren't hiring a lot of women. That's been true for a long time. Computer science programs are largely boys clubs (speaking from personal experience). A lot of engineering programs are the same way. The question is why is that, and is there anything that can and should be done to change it.

2) This will further make it more difficult for minority and women because many people will assume that they only got their jobs because they were female or a minority.

Fortunately, in engineering, you can only fake it so far.

I work for a major aerospace company in Palo Alto, CA and in my engineering group alone women and minorities probably make up close to 70% of our group. My manager is a minority as well. Our group had three managers and one of the other two managers is a woman and a minority.

Still, if you look at a lot of the big tech companies, Intel among them, but also Google and Microsoft and Apple, they're all pretty white and pretty male. I think that's largely reflective of computer science departments, where in some cases meeting a woman is only slightly more common than running across a yeti.

 

[The Berean]

I don't know that that's accurate. But whatever they're trying to do, the fact of the matter is that they aren't hiring a lot of women. That's been true for a long time. Computer science programs are largely boys clubs (speaking from personal experience). A lot of engineering programs are the same way. The question is why is that, and is there anything that can and should be done to change it.

So companies are actually not hiring women and minorities simply because they are women and minorities?

Fortunately, in engineering, you can only fake it so far.

This is true.

Still, if you look at a lot of the big tech companies, Intel among them, but also Google and Microsoft and Apple, they're all pretty white and pretty male. I think that's largely reflective of computer science departments, where in some cases meeting a woman is only slightly more common than running across a yeti.

This is true but it is not the high tech companies' fault that there are so few women computer scientists/software engineers. How can these companies become more diverse if there simply aren't enough female computer scientists/software engineers to go around? At my company I've seen quite an increase in female engineers (mostly mechanical and aerospace engineers) in the past 10 years. Google and, especially, Apple do hire their fair share of mechanical engineering types as well.

 

[Eeset]

So I gather you are not very impressed by Intel's pledge for more diversity then, Esset?

Correct. It is what I call reputation management and brand marketing. Intel is very wired in to public perceptions. They are taking a potential liability and transforming it into an asset before it can be used against them.

 

[Granite]

From what I read and hear Silicon Valley's very much a boys's club. Don't see the harm in one outfit trying to broaden their horizons.

 

[HisServant]

If the applicants are qualified, they should be given a fair chance... if they aren't, they shouldn't.

Previous quota systems have always ended up dumbing down everyone involved and penalizing those that actually excel.

 

[rexlunae]

So companies are actually not hiring women and minorities simply because they are women and minorities?

It's unlikely to be so blatant most of the time, but then, the most insidious bias doesn't exactly wear a nametag. And it's unlikely to start at the hiring managers, either. The tougher problem is the systemic biases that make people, including the women themselves, assume that women aren't suitable for these careers.

This is true but it is not the high tech companies' fault that there are so few women computer scientists/software engineers. How can these companies become more diverse if there simply aren't enough female computer scientists/software engineers to go around?

This isn't about placing blame, it's about trying to figure out why it happens and seeing if anything can do done differently to prevent it. No one is forcing Intel to put up this money. They're doing it because they recognize a problem, and perhaps because they know that it hobbles their innovation if they only get one certain perspective.

That's not to say that there isn't blame to be placed. But that isn't what Intel is doing.

At my company I've seen quite an increase in female engineers (mostly mechanical and aerospace engineers) in the past 10 years. Google and, especially, Apple do hire their fair share of mechanical engineering types as well.

I work with quite a lot of mechanical and aerospace engineers. And while women are not quite at parity with men, they are fairly well represented. But that's a completely different domain than what Intel is interested in. They're probably primarily concerned with EEs and programmers.

 

[rexlunae]

From what I read and hear Silicon Valley's very much a boys's club. Don't see the harm in one outfit trying to broaden their horizons.

In the CS program I attended, the local chapter of the women-focused computing club, the ACM-W had an all-male staff of officers, because there weren't enough women in the entire department to fill the four required officer seats. And we did that just too keep the chapter from vanishing completely.

 

[The Berean]

From what I read and hear Silicon Valley's very much a boys's club. Don't see the harm in one outfit trying to broaden their horizons.

That's changed tremendously in the past 10 years or so. I started my career in Silicon Valley in 1998 and my first two bosses were women. I've had a third female boss later as well. There are several high profile female CEO's as well. It is changing for the better, albeit, too slowly for some.

 

[Granite]

A handful of CEO's doesn't a sea change make. There's really nothing wrong with what Intel's doing. It's a gesture.

 

[john w]

"Short" INTC at market.

John "Bud Fox" W.

 

[The Berean]

More and more young women are going into engineering.

Female students start to show more interest in science and engineering

Engineering by the Numbers

First-Year Class Boasts Highest Percentage of Female Engineers

Purdue sees increase in women engineers

University female engineering students increase significantly for fall 2014

Big increase in number of women in Engineering at Illinois linked to growth in scholarship support

 

[Town Heretic]

Intel commits $300 million to workplace diversity

LAS VEGAS -- Under fire along with other tech companies for its lack of diversity, Intel on Tuesday said it plans to dramatically increase the number of women and minority workers it employs within five years and will commit $300 million to the effort.

The company's announcement makes it the first major Silicon Valley company to set goals to increase the diversity of its workforce amid a growing debate about the issue.


What say you, TOL? :think:

I think it's a crying shame to see a major corporation openly bragging about how much money it's going to pour into workplace perversity. Why in my day there'd be a gnashing of teeth the likes of which would have the ADA membership weeping in the streets like children handed lumps of coal for Christmas. Pumping silicone into minority women, as if they haven't been exploited and manhandled enough by the power structure. I tell you it's an outrage, an absolute out---what? lain: Why are you looking at me like that...I think. Are your eyes open? What happened?

 

[kmoney]

Intel commits $300 million to workplace diversity

LAS VEGAS -- Under fire along with other tech companies for its lack of diversity, Intel on Tuesday said it plans to dramatically increase the number of women and minority workers it employs within five years and will commit $300 million to the effort.

The company's announcement makes it the first major Silicon Valley company to set goals to increase the diversity of its workforce amid a growing debate about the issue.


What say you, TOL? :think:

I'm curious about how that $300mln will be spent.

From the article:

the company has set a goal for its workforce -- at all levels of the company -- to become "fully representative" of the diversity of the country's available talent by 2020

I wonder what they mean by 'diversity of the country's available talent'. :think: That could be a clever way to say it which allows them an out. If the talent pools for their jobs don't have many women and minorities then they won't really have to increase their diversity much.

Additionally, the tech giant will use the money in part to encourage more women and people of color to enter the industry.

As TB already mentioned, the company can't hire who isn't there, so I think this is where the money should be spent, if any is spent. I'd favor encouragement for women and minorities to enter STEM programs.