Here's a clip from his current column. He is obviously referring to discrimination in the hiring of scientists, and I'd love to hear what you think about this. I don't want to hear from people who BELIEVE that there is discrimination in the workforce (just about everyone believes it's out there) . . . instead, I'd like to hear from people who KNOW it is out there. And I'd like to hear why they know this. While this has been a problem in the past, today's employer tries very hard to balance gender, and -- if anything -- they sometimes pass up on the better candidate just to ensure their roster includes both male and female team members. In most searches today, and over the last few years, the company doing the hiring tells the search firm, "We'd like to ensure that we get a diverse range of candidates. We'd love to have a female candidate for this role."
Here's what Adam wrote, taking his usual approach to the subject of "career roadblock:"
ROADBLOCK: No Penis. Though policies are evolving, plenty of scientists are still denied jobs or promotions due to the lack of a clear and unambiguous penis. “Your results are exemplary,” their supervisors enthuse, “and you have truly made strides toward the acquisition and application of knowledge. But can you imagine the increased scientific validity of your results if you had, say, a penis?”
How real is the "old boy's club" issue outside of academia? Personally, I think it is disappearing quickly.
Dave Jensen, Moderator