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by jmromer 2429 days ago
> but to call it gender biased is ridiculous

Unlikely.

> women and minorities are just as capable of playing board games

Quite beside the point. Even leaving aside the implicit claims here that

(1) the board-game filter measures capability of playing board games rather than fluency with the social scripts involved in board-game playing, and

(2) that it does so without introducing any behavioral artifacts such that this measure would be a reliable predictor of on-the-job behavior,

the question is: What are the outcomes generated by the board-game filter? (reeeee equality of outcome)

If an assessment produces an adverse impact on groups already underrepresented in tech, at a minimum it ought to generate scrutiny.

In the case of leetcode-type hiring filters, I can suspend judgment or reach some kind of nuanced position.

In the case of using Settlers of Catan as a hiring filter, all I can do is chuckle.

That said, heterogeneity in hiring practices is a good thing. Presumably in the long run people sort themselves out and some kind of equilibrium is reached.

I look forward to experimenting with feats of strength and athletic prowess as a hiring filter in order to gauge tenacity, equanimity in the face of adversity, and general team-spiritedness.