Google Sued By Former YouTube Recruiter For Alleged Discrimination In Employment Process
A former YouTube recruiter has filed a lawsuit against the largest streaming platform, claiming that Google has stopped hiring white and Asian men for technical positions.
In January, Arne Wilberg filed a civil lawsuit in California's San Mateo County Superior Court. According to the Wall Street Journal, Wilberg claimed that Alphabet Inc.'s Google allegedly set limits on hiring white and Asian males because they wanted to increase diversity.
Last year, the company allegedly instructed YouTube recruiters to not interview applicants who did not fit into the categories of minorities. More specifically, YouTube only targeted applicants who were female, Hispanic, or black, according to the lawsuit. However, Google denied these claims.
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"We have a clear policy to hire candidates based on their merit, not their identity," a Google spokeswoman said in a statement retrieved by Telegraph. "At the same time, we unapologetically try to find a diverse pool of qualified candidates for open roles, as this helps us hire the best people, improve our culture, and build better products."
According to the 2017 diversity report by Google, 69 percent of their employees around the world are male. Meanwhile, 56 percent of their American workers are white, and 35 percent are Asian.
The report also stated that the company has been "working to eliminate bias in our systems and people processes." Part of their inclusivity vision is a coaching program for Black and Latino Googlers. As of 2017, 25 offices across the US are part of this program.
Wilberg said that the hiring bans of YouTube were just covered up by the company and that they have deleted the emails of these diversity requirements. Google said that hiring decisions are made by their hiring committees.
Early this year, Google ex-worker James Damore also filed a lawsuit against Google. The former employee claimed that he and his former co-worker were "ostracized, belittled and punished for their heterodox political views."
Damore was fired for circulating an anti-diversity memo last August.
