Workforce Management
February 2010
Commentary: To strip the emotion out of the issue, you have to stop talking about affirmative action and start talking about how the world of hiring works. To do that, let’s replace ‘minority candidate’ with ‘internal candidate’ and evaluate the general merits of forcing interviews—even if it seems the hiring decision has already been made. By Kris Dunn
If you follow sports, you’re probably aware that Pete Carroll, former head football coach at the University of Southern California, left the school to become the head coach of the National Football League’s Seattle Seahawks. On the surface, this is pretty pedestrian stuff, as a head coach with a national title at the college level getting a chance at a big payday in the pros happens frequently.
What you probably don’t know is this: Before the Seahawks and Carroll could sign a contract that had already been agreed to verbally, the Seahawks had to interview at least one minority candidate as part of the process. It’s required in the NFL, and here’s how the rule (known as the Rooney Rule) is positioned, according to lawyer/writer Jack Oceano:
“Under the NFL’s Rooney Rule, any team in the National Football League offering a head coaching position must interview at least one minority candidate. Named after the Pittsburgh Steelers owner Dan Rooney, chairman of the league’s diversity committee, the rule was created in the hopes of increasing the number of minority head coaches in the league.”
How do you feel about that? There’s nothing that gets the blood flowing on all sides like a situational hiring analysis with an affirmative-action feel. Since I’m pro-employer on most issues I tackle, you’ll more than likely be surprised by my take on the Rooney Rule: I think it’s a good business practice.
Full Story: http://www.workforce.com/archive/feature/26/99/68/index.php
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