https://hbr.org/2025/02/the-false-dichotomy-of-merit-and-inclusion
"I believe in the importance of merit.
And that is why I advocate for inclusion.
This might seem paradoxical, but it’s not. What I really want is
fairness,
which humans are generally wired to seek. Both the ideal of merit and the ideal
of inclusion reach toward fairness: a system where effort and ability—not
arbitrary barriers—determine success at work. Yet in our less-than-ideal world,
we’re falling short of this goal. Many stories I’ve encountered in my global
neurodiversity and disability work illustrate this.
Consider Brian. Brian is brilliant. He completed a double major in computer
science and math in three years. His performance on pattern-recognition tests
had previously been considered impossible. He seems to be an ideal fit for the
cybersecurity jobs he’s passionate about—but he can’t get one. Why? The typical
interview format of rapid-fire of questions—including “weird” inquiries like
what animal he would be or whether he prefers golf or tennis—filters him out.
Not his skill. Not his talent. Instead, the problem is a flawed hiring process
with overreliance on interviews—a measurement that lacks validity, particularly
for autistic candidates.
He and many other skilled and talented job-seekers would have been top
candidates if the hiring criteria focused on the actual skill of performing the
job rather than performing the role of a generic “ideal candidate”—in other
words, if we actually measured merit. But too often, interviews measure acting
ability rather than the relevant coding, accounting, or shelf-stocking skills.
This means that hiring procedures relying on interviews are generally less
valid than direct skill assessment, and that they’re particularly unfair and
discriminatory for people who are better at performing the job than appearing
like they can perform the job.
When measurement lacks validity, selecting the top candidate doesn’t reflect
merit. It reflects bias, barriers, and the lack of inclusion. We’re not
selecting the best; we’re selecting the best-ish from a narrow circle of those
fortunate to exist on a level section of the playing field—not those relegated
to the steep slopes, who show incredible talent but are disadvantaged in the
face of bias based on class, non-English names, gender, age, race, looks,
disability, and more. People who have the talent and skills needed to help
organizations thrive are often unable to do so because they regularly face
exclusion and barriers—from internships to promotions to pay. In fact, research
shows that bias in promotions and reward distribution is just as prevalent as
bias in hiring, exacerbating and multiplying rather than reducing unfairness in
the span of our careers."
Via Tess.
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
