Managing Growth and Diversity- Addressing Discrimination Challenges at MTE

Managing Growth and Diversity- Addressing Discrimination Challenges at MTE

FROM: HR Consultant

DATE: 11/19/2021

SUBJECT: Needed Diversity at MTE

MTE’s current hiring practices are problematic despite being automated. The company’s automated practices go against Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, which requires employers to offer equal employment opportunities to all genders without discrimination (Hentze & Tyus, 2021). The inclusion of Artificial Intelligence in the hiring process has attracted special attention from the EEOC recently. This attention is due to the unconscious bias that is likely to occur, leading to discrimination (Kimberly, 2019).

EMT uses keywords to pick candidates initially. These phrases may also contribute to gender bias, especially if most successful applicants at this stage are males. The data sets that EMTs are using for the robotic processes are highly responsible for the observed bias (Fatourou, Hankin, & Knowles, n.d). For instance, the entire process of selecting candidates seems to discriminate against minority groups because it is based on technology. Minority groups may lack a chance to meet on Google Hangouts or have not studied any of the top ten leading university degrees. These requirements and platforms shut out minority groups that would otherwise be qualified for positions at the company.

To change this hiring process and increase diversity, the company needs to reconsider the data it uses for its robotic processes. The ‘garbage in, garbage out’ philosophy highlights that automated recruitment is likely to be biased if the information is discriminative (Kimberly, 2019). Secondly, MTE needs to eliminate the current requirements and phrases used at the initial stages. They need to explore other courses that can offer candidates the desired competencies and expand the list of educational merits at various levels. The phrases that are used should be investigated for bias or scraped completely as well. Finally, MTE should use more conventional platforms for its initial interviews to increase its accessibility to minority groups. For instance, conducting a physical interview with the candidates initially and reserving the other digital platforms for later interview stages is better. For example, the company can choose to hire using a female-to-male ratio of 60/40 until they acquire a gender balance. This objective can guide the entire process eliminating the current bias.

References

Fatourou, P., Hankin, C., & Knowles, B. (n.d). Gender Bias in Automated Decision-Making Systems.

Hentze, I., & Tyus, R. (2021). Sex and Gender Discrimination in the Workplace. Retrieved from National Conference of State Legislatures: https://www.ncsl.org/research/labor-and-employment/-gender-and-sex-discrimination.aspx

Kimberly, A. H. (2019). Can AI Solve the Diversity Problem in the Tech Industry? Mitigating Noise and Bias in Employment Decision-Making. STAN. TECH. L. REV., 22, 290-354.

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Assignment: Needed Diversity at MTE

Introduction: You read about and practiced some concepts related to equal employment opportunity in the workplace in the learning activity. Now you will apply some of these concepts to a scenario. Read the following scenario and respond in a business memo to the checklist items.

Scenario: MTE is a robotics firm that has clients all over the world but is based in the U.S., with offices in most major cities. Recently MTE has been experiencing an upsurge in discrimination lawsuits by women and minorities since they grew from 2,000 employees in 2016 to have 3,500 employees by the third quarter of 2019. Demand for their technology services exploded with the expansion of some of their clients’ high-technology needs in the medical industry. There are currently 3,000 employees in the Northeastern U.S. and 500 employees in other countries.

The lawsuits claim that women and minorities are not being hired in equitable numbers due to a discriminatory hiring system. MTE has an automated hiring system on its hiring website. Applicants first submit their resumes, which are scanned for certain educational requirements (including top 10 university degrees) and key phrases. Then those applicants that pass the initial screening take an online technology test that is timed to see how many answers they get correct within a short time frame. Those who pass this test are contacted for a group online interview using Google Hangouts™ and a few company robots that ask a series of questions from one of five possible question lists. After this third screening, they are contacted by an automated HR message to have an individual interview by an actual HR person, and subsequently a group interview by several actual managers and a robot on the same day as the individual interview. Finally, the managers make a decision and submit it to the HR department then make an offer of employment to the selected candidate.

You have been newly hired away from another technology firm’s HR department to work for MTE and are tasked with the following:

Checklist: Write a minimum 1–to–2-page business memo (i.e., a minimum of 250–500 words) to the HR director regarding the following:

Describe the problems with the company’s hiring practices and the laws that have been violated. Provide one example and evidence to support the problems and the laws that have been violated.
Explain how the firm can increase employee diversity by changing the hiring practices. Provide one example and evidence to support your response.