Is Affirmative Action good or bad?

[GMDino]

When it applies to veterans?

Just got our updated Federal EEO Poster Supplement. We do not need it because we are not a Federal contractor or subcontractor, but I was reading it and saw this:



(Full image here.)

Those who want to get rid of affirmative action...is that ALL of it or just when it appears to be favoring minorities?

[Belsnickel]

I have some experience with this as a hiring manager in a public agency as we have state and university policies focused on helping to employ veterans. Don't get me wrong, I have known people that have had a hard time finding work in the civilian world after leaving the military and it has been a major problem, leading to drug and alcohol abuse in several cases and homelessness in more than one. So I am all about making sure we help these men and women that have given their service to the country find employment when that time is up.

The problem is that we have a matrix we use for applications sent in for jobs. Every person that applies goes on this spreadsheet. You set anywhere from 3-6 qualifiers to use and you score the applicants on those qualifiers based upon their application and resume. The problem comes in that in the application of the policies to help veterans they have created 4 questions that are also tacked on to this matrix for a total of 10 potential qualifiers. So to tackle this, we create all six qualifiers as best we can, otherwise a veteran that meets none of your other qualifiers is deemed just as qualified as someone that meets all of your others, but was not a veteran. Even with the full six, a veteran who meets three could qualify as high or higher than someone that meets all six but is not a veteran. We then have to interview this veteran who has little to no chance of being hired (obviously they can change our mind in an interview, but it doesn't happen often).

I think there are better things that can be done that are working towards the same goal as affirmative action policies rather than just taking an affirmative action policy like this. And I'm of this opinion for every demographic that it is applied to.

[*bfine32*]

My experience with VERA is that it applies to Government jobs and you are merely getting credit for what you have done, not who you are.

Those who are handicapped because of service to their country get additional consideration.

This is nothing like affimitive action which helps(ed) minorities get a fair shake.