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Return to Article: Senior executive ranks not diverse enough, says OPM official

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  To the previous writer, a correction, and a question.

  I didn't qualify my remarks about diversity with the terms "racial" or "sexual". But since you bring it up...

  Are you suggesting that competency and diversity are mutually exclusive?

  GovExec.com reader Posted November 7, 2003 6:38 PM
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  "My experience with diversity is that it strengthens an organization and helps the government stay competitive. Unfortunately, I don't see private firms supporting that principle, and contractors far outnumber the federal workforce in government." If diversity strengthens an organization and helps government stay competitive, why are we A-76ing the government jobs to the private sector that is not diverse? What is your proof that racial diversity strengthes an organization? Competence strengthens an organization not racial and sexual mix!

  GovExec.com reader Posted November 5, 2003 7:31 AM
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  It's all about competence...isn't it? How come we are still arguing the same things as when I entered government service in the early 80s. It is time to be color blind and just promote the best people.

  Thank you for the right answers in your article. We are doing the right thing by bringing the best people into government service and helping them get good training and experience. In time, the SES will reflect the whole workforce.

  GovExec.com reader Posted October 23, 2003 10:04 AM
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  The term "high quality" is applied to minority candidates in this article. Thirty years in the EEO business and some things don't change. "High quality" is an adjective applied to minority applicants and candidates, and has replaced "qualified" as a term distingquishing minorities. "High quality" and "qualified" are givens in seeking people of any race or color to fulfill the requirements for positions. Don't use extra verbiage for what should be a given.

  GovExec.com reader Posted October 21, 2003 3:29 PM
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  Well, there is old math, new math and the ever popular government math. I cannot see why, in a country where a minority group makes up less than 20 percent of the population, our government and employer feels like things are "not fair" unless that group has at least 50 percent of the jobs. I work in an office where whites make up 32 percent of the staff, yet "diversity and mentoring programs" here continue to hire blacks exclusively for the past three years. Qualifications are not reviewed, just quotas.

  I am now a minority, but my agency says I'm still in the majority group agency-wide, so I can't be promoted on the basis of diversity. When is enough going to be enough? Hire people on a color-blind basis. Lets get the best and brightest in there and leave the rainbow to Jesse Jackson.

  GovExec.com reader Posted October 21, 2003 8:21 AM
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  I agree with the content of this article; I wonder if the same criteria is being applied to contractor management, who far outnumber federal management. After all, they collect public monies.

  The government is told that we must conduct business like a private industry. We should be lean and mean, and ready to compete. Then we're asked to meet a diversity standards not required of the corporations that we compete against. Why not level the playing field?

  I suggest that similar and equal standards be applied to feds and Contractors. My experience with diversity is that it strengthens an organization and helps the government stay competitive. Unfortunately, I don't see private firms supporting that principle, and contractors far outnumber the federal workforce in government.

  Perhaps OPM is has the right idea, but they are definitely looking the wrong way.

  GovExec.com reader Posted October 17, 2003 10:38 AM
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  I read the title about diversity and assumed that it referred to competence and qualifications. Instead it refers to race and sex. I think they should spend more time on competence and qualifications and when they have it, the race and sex issues would not be issues. The people of the USA do not benefit any more from a competent female than they do from a competent male. Let's get competent managers and then worry about the politically correct mix.

  Tax payer Posted October 17, 2003 7:14 AM