Vacancy was withdrawn two days after publication on the grounds of being ‘discriminatory’
A platform where companies usually publicize their diversity policies and the gains made with teams from different contexts, LinkedIn has been at the center of a controversy since it deleted a vacancy post that prioritized the hiring of blacks and indigenous people.
The post, published by Laut (Centre for the Analysis of Freedom and Authoritarianism), aimed to publicize a position of coordination of the administrative and financial sector, and was part of the research center’s affirmative actions. The post was then taken down two days after publication on the grounds that it was ‘discriminatory’.
With the disclosure of the story by Folha de S.Paulo, the case gained repercussion. Among market professionals, Ian Black, CEO of New Vegas, and Ken Fujioka, co-founder and partner of Ada Strategy, led the chorus against the platform.
“LinkedIn is a company that institutionally positions itself AGAINST affirmative policies aimed at historically minority and oppressed groups, such as black, trans or indigenous people. This is the post,” Black wrote on LinkedIn.
Fujioka recalled that he has already had a post with a vacancy for black women, trans people or other minority groups that, according to him, were overthrown by the network. And that, even in the face of similar episodes already evaluated by the Brazilian justice, the corporate platform informed that this type of posting was not allowed.
“It is useless for a company to say that it is inclusive and for diversity if, at the time of “let’s see”, it acts like someone who has not studied or understood anything about the need for affirmative policies”, he said in a post.
The controversy was reinforced with the request for an explanation by Procon-SP this Wednesday (23). The agency charged information such as the exclusion policy and the platform’s communication with advertising companies.
Entities and advertisers ask for explanation
LinkedIn, so far, has not commented on the matter. However, in the meantime, the case continues to gain attention. Several entities began to publish letters demanding a position on the network and the adoption of pro-diversity measures – among them, the Business Initiative for Equality, the Observatory of Diversity in Propaganda, the Movimento Mulher 360, the Business Coalition for Racial and Gender Equity, LGBTI+ Business and Rights Forum, Ethos Institute and the Business Network for Social Inclusion.
The Observatory of Diversity in Propaganda, for example, stated that it recognizes structural racism as a discriminatory historical process and promotes affirmative action to combat it. “We invite LinkedIn to also position itself allied to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and review its anti-segregation policies on the platform, as well as the appropriate practices to implement them,” he wrote.
Among the brands, Natura signed a document called “Business Manifesto in Defense of Affirmative Action”, material that asks the platform to publicly and urgently change its publication policy, in order to ensure that companies can develop their actions affirmative actions in the selection processes using the platform.
The Women 360 Movement recalled that LinkedIn should follow international standards, such as the ILO Convention 111, cited in its statement. “It is not, therefore, a local issue, where the Brazilian Constitution and legislation in general guarantee the realization of affirmative actions, such as the announcement of vacancies aimed at segments of the population proven to be in a situation of exclusion, inequalities and disadvantages, as is the case of the black population, people with disabilities, women, people over 45 years old, LGBTI+ people, indigenous people, among others”.