Employers will be encouraged to find out how bigoted they are using a new internet test developed by the Government.
Oh, good God! Internet tests are an amusing way of passing a few minutes. They are not scientific and they do not tell you how bigoted you are. They might tell you how bigoted the designer is, though…
The online tool, called Know Yourself, will describe a series of scenarios to users and ask them to give their reactions.
Well, I know myself well enough to realise that I wouldn’t dream of falling for this bullshit.
It will instantly analyse replies and determine whether the manager subconsciously discriminates against job candidates based on their race, age, gender or disability.
No, it won’t. It will tell you that you have a bias towards white faces if you are white and are therefore an evil racist. If you are black you will have a bias for black faces and are therefore not an evil racist as only white people are racist in the eyes of the righteous. Those of us who live in the real world know differently.
The Department for Work and Pensions is developing the 10-minute bias quiz with Ernst & Young after a “sting operation” last year found that employers were far less likely to offer interviews to applicants with Asian or African names.
I’m sorry, but isn’t there more important stuff to be spending our tax pounds on rather than pissing it up the wall on this utter bollocks? Who, in their right mind is going to take it and, which is more, believe the utter shit that it comes out with?
“We know that businesses need a time-efficient tool and it is being specifically designed to be user-friendly, with links to useful websites for businesses wishing to get further information and advice on equality issues.”
Businesses already have a time efficient tool should they wish to take advantage of it; it’s called common sense. One uses this to analyse the skills and capabilities of prospective candidates in order to ensure that the most appropriate one is selected. It isn’t difficult and it does not need any interference from government departments.
Lovely. Now I wonder how much E&Y charged DWP to develop that one?
‘Developed by the Government,’ my fat ass. That same faces-and-words test has been around at least since early 2007 when it was part of a psych department study at some US university. Too lazy to find the link, but I remember taking it myself. Thanks to concentrating, as well as knowing that it was measuring the level of my racism, I scored prejudice-free.
.-= My last blog ..Kings and Queens and Catholics =-.
bella – I did it back then, too. And, likewise, understanding the objectives, came though with a non-racist outcome. it’s bollocks through and through.
“Lovely. Now I wonder how much E&Y charged DWP to develop that one?”
I expect they did what all consultants do when asked by the government to design some software/training.
That is, thought of a number, doubled it, added £10,000 then giggled uncontrollably while rubbing themselves in a disturbing fashion…
.-= My last blog ..Education For The YouTube Generation… =-.
Too much information.
The test is mentioned in Malcolm Gladwell’s book “Blink”. It was devised by an american university, I can’t remember which one.