All 800 hiring managers at a council have been retrained to overcome unconscious bias in a major drive to tackle institutional racism.
Bristol City Council has taken action after a review confirmed systemic racism was deep-rooted in its culture.
Head of HR Mark Williams said another priority was "improving the diversity of senior leadership".Hang on, I thought this had fallen out of favour?
Maybe they should fire Mark Williams - because the buck stops there, surely? - and hire a black disabled lesbian instead?
And .... does a council really need 800 hiring managers? And a HR department?
It's not the diversity training is it, It's the fact that they have 800 hiring managers. Bristol council shouldn't have 800 employees, let along 800 of the buggers in one field
ReplyDeleteHead of HR Mark Williams said another priority was "improving the diversity of senior leadership".
ReplyDeleteHow can this possibly be acheived without systematic racism? The only way it can be done is by promoting people based on their ethnicity surely.
What is a 'Hiring Manager'? Could it be a new silly title - and don't bureaucrats love new important titles and extra pay - for a secretary?
ReplyDeleteBristol council must employ 100,000s to justify 800 of these terribly important people.
"a..does a council really need 800 employment managers..."
ReplyDeleteOf course they don't, but the only thing that beurocracies like councils provide is more beurocrats. Empire building is the creed of politicians, especially as th cost of them is not met by council leaders, but by tax payers in their ever increasing council tax.
Some years ago, when a new CEO took over an American company, he called in all of the department managers, asked to offer notices of resignation together with a justification why they should keep their jobs.
If only new council leaders did something similar but, of course, they won't. Their friends, lovers, and family members all need some form of income, and the ever paying, uncomplaining, public will always be there.
Penseivat
I suspect that a "hiring manager" is not a dedicated role. It is someone who mostly does other things and occasionally gets involved in, say, interviewing for posts within their own department.
ReplyDeleteI may be able to help you understand how the Council system works here. Each department in the Council will have several people who when required can log onto the recruitment system and post a job for a position in their particular team. Looking at the list in my council there are hundreds of them, but they do not do this as a full time job or even as a part time job. From my point of view if I need a new team member, after I got the necessary approvals etc I have pretty much a free hand who I offer the job to, to leave it to HR would be a disaster!
ReplyDeleteTalking about Bristol and council waste. I see that they've lost £50 M on a council run energy company. https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/call-bristol-mayor-resign-over-4879626
ReplyDeleteStuff "diversity training" and recruiting by ethnic quotas, what happened to the concept of choosing the best qualified (by education or experience) person for the job? Or am I out of date??
ReplyDelete"Bristol council shouldn't have 800 employees, let along 800 of the buggers in one field"
ReplyDeleteAs others have pointed out, it's more a case that all front line managers probably do the bulk of hiring, 'assisted' (or more likely hindered) by a small HR team.
"The only way it can be done is by promoting people based on their ethnicity surely."
Correct! And we've seen where that leads, haven't we?
"Talking about Bristol and council waste. I see that they've lost £50 M on a council run energy company."
/facepalm