Headline: Jack Daniels ending DEI effort
A regional news outlet in my area wrote that Jack Daniels is ending their DEI program, in favor of performance metrics.
DEI should include performance metrics, and if it's just about race, sex, gender, it's a bad DEI program.
Let's consider a fictional local business looking to fill 3 jobs. Let's call the owner Ray, a churchgoer.
He tells his pastor that he's got some jobs available, and calls pastors at a couple other churches he knows.
What if those are all white churches?
Well DEI (in my view) would say that he should call pastors at a couple of black churches, and say the same thing he said to the other pastors:
I've got 3 construction jobs available. I'm looking for two strong workers and one woodworker. I've got a pro, so even a hobbyist with some hours in could apply.
Then from the apps Ray receives, he should pick the best candidate.
DEI isn't about giving black people or women or any other group the jobs. It's about opening the door to natives and gays and other people who might never have had the opportunity to apply without that DEI effort.
(I didn't read the article. Just the framing of the headling. grr)
It also includes cultural considerations at work. Does everybody celebrate Christmas? Can Hanukkah be celebrated too? Can Ramadan be respected somehow?
And most importantly, what do the people at the work place say they need?
What if there's one white Christian man working in a business run by Muslim Indian women?
Should they be made to feel included? Should their culture be considered?
Are Muslim workers allowed prayer time breaks? Can the Christian man also have prayer breaks?
Also, let's not forget disabled people and divergent folk!
Anyway, I'm done. I don't speak for anybody, just myself. It's a blog. :)