There are so many qualified women here that are denied opportunities based on age, race, sex, etc that I believe we have to enact legislation to make all hiring decisions blind.
No identifying information, dates, graduation dates, dates on on jobs, etc placed on a resume. All resumes should list experience, skill set, very specific skills learned on xx job and the number of months using that skill. For affirmative action laws, there can be a check box with just one question, "Do you identify as any of these categories", without making them check a specific box.
Hiring managers are typically inexperienced and unqualified in interviewing and selecting candidates. Studies show that most tend to select candidates based on gut feelings, whether they candidate reminds them of themselves and a bougie resume filled with dog whistles indicating class status ie: polo, equestrian, chess. There is nothing objective about hiring and almost no one is aware of their own bias. Recent studies show that upwards of 80% of managers are either toxic, incompetent or not managing their teams well. In my experience 80% is a very conservative figure. This is no judgement on individual bosses but a commentary on how the work place values cut throat behavior.
The halo effect allows the candidates who wheel and deal, lie, exaggerate, kiss up, have amazing class markers on resumes, former bosses who wrongly give great references-- the best chance of promotion. Promotion to management should be ability based--but we no longer know how to assess candiates on leadership competence. We've learned through decades of working that good feelings are right and bad feelings are wrong....this is exactly the opposite of how we should assess candidate abilities.
My last boss in the government had had three directorship posts, two masters degrees and stood at 6' 6" tall. However, when questioned, he could not answer a single quesiton about his ability to motivate and lead a team. He had a union complaint against him in 2 months from someone in another department, no less. He sees life as a game and beleives that his job as a director is beneath him and too simple, until his thrid complaint in three months of starting his job; he was humbled for the first time in his life. Within 30 days, he had everyone at each other's throats. The entire department has lost over a quarter of its former staff. The chief wasn't able to figure out how to pay a bill, despite having access to our former accounts payable represenatives office will all of the departments financial data. The chief was unable to figure out how to pay bills despite having access to our accounts payables files. When I told her where to find the filed despite being brand new and untrained, she began giving me the silent treatment. No discussion on what I did wrong or why. My review stated clearly that one of my best qualities was the ability to process negative evaluations and learn from them.
It was clear that I was hired as an affirmative action candidate since there are was zero diversity on the team which is 150% lower than any other department within the government sector where I worked. Our county was recently named the most diverse in the country and our company is over 50% diverse, however my own department had no women of color on the team. When compliments began to accumpluate on my skills and popularity, I was excluded, verbally threatened, physically intimidated and forced to endure sexual overtures. After complaining about the demands to accept romantic advances, I was terminated. Its in my opinion, that women of color are seen as objects, no rights to say no to white men. After telling a social worker who subtely asked me to see his friend, that I felt uncomfortable with his advances....I was persona non grata and my advancement opportunities relegated.
Considering we provide therapy to abused women, I was silenced when I discussed my mental health from the harassment I endured. We need to select for empathy in leaders above previous leadership experience and the amount of letters after their name. The opposite of what we're doing now. Companies are failing at high rates, employee burn out is at a record high and legitimate law suits are draining workers and business owners.