Some news on the sneaker front today related to the civil rights movement occurring right now. The Wall Street Journal reports that Adidas has announced plans to select people of black or Latin origin for at least 30 percent of jobs the company is creating. It’s part of a larger effort by the shoemaker to support diversity in the community after black employees shared instances of mistreatment internally.
The practice of affirmative action is controversial, intended to give minorities more opportunity for representation within an organization (Kenton, 2019). However, federal law states that employers may not discriminate “based on race, color, religion, sex, and national origin” (U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, n.d.). Additionally, the Supreme Court of the United States has found the use of racial quotas to be unconstitutional (CNN, 2013).
For what it’s worth, human resources expert Ruth Mayhew (n.d.) says that recruitment initiatives generally yield “a diverse applicant pool” to select the most qualified candidates. Adidas will need a solid HR strategy to promote diversity while at the same time staying compliant with anti-discriminatory regulation.