I don’t want to be hired to fulfill a diversity category…
...why I believe this strategy is a dangerous path to take...
…ever!
Why?
Because I am not my disability.
Because my disability does not make me a worthy scientist, artist, scientific illustrator, writer, guide or mentor.
So no thank you, I do not believe that this should ever be a reason to work with me.
I want people to work with me because of my skills, my personality, because I am a great fit for their team, because they resonate with me, because they love my scientific illustrations, they appreciate my science background & my art skills or they feel I can be helpful to guide them on their path.
THOSE are important.
I don’t want anyone to work with me because I am 50% disabled, because I have 8,3 fingers and four toes. I also don’t want them to work with me because I am a woman. None of these matter.
What do you think matters when it comes to hiring people?
I also believe that this type of approach will not benefit society in the long run. Not just because of the immediate reason that less-skilled people will be hired & more qualified persons not, but also because of the secondary effects.
What if someone is totally oblivious about the reason that they were hired (a certain diversity category) & believes it was because of their skills? If that person finds out, trust will be broken, within themselves & their belief in their skillset, but also towards their employer.
And what about the colleagues who might know about the “diversity-hire”? They might feel resentment, they might have an extra work burden because of a less qualified person in their team and what will be the result?
A declining working climate, efficiency decrease, anger, resentment & frustration among each other… this will lead to the company having lots of troubles, HR departments being involved, the productivity dropping, financial losses, people quitting etc…
The psychological & secondary long-term consequences of diversity-hires seem to be a hidden aspect. But they have to be taken into consideration.
Looping back to myself: I would never want that for myself, my potential coworkers, clients, the company or institution I work with or for, and for the development of society in general.
I truly believe that there is a spot for every human being on earth! We all have individual skills & gifts & if we listen to what we truly love to do, what we are good at, we WILL find a job we are qualified for, no matter any diversity quota to be used as an excuse to hire us.
How do you feel about this topic?
Love,
Daria
PS.: If you are interested to explore your own personal path, start your business with your dream idea & if that has to do anything with science & illustrations, feel free to reach out! I am offering a Mentorship program to guide you on your path!