It’s tough enough to get a job these days, but Colorado-based New Belgium brewery, which produces the popular Fat Tire beer and others, gives job candidates one more hoop to jump through – a cultural fit. This may sound ok on its face; however, the admission came in a Wall Street Journal article yesterday about the discussion of politics in the workplace.
Here’s the excerpt:
“In Colorado, executives at New Belgium Brewing Co. have made their political views public. Indeed, CEO Kim Jordan attended the Democratic Convention in Charlotte earlier this year. Favored candidates have also been permitted to hold events at the brewery.
Still, “we try to be really careful to allow everyone to have their own opinion,” says Jenn Vervier, the director of sustainability and strategic planning at the 450-employee company. Because the company considers “cultural fit” when hiring, she says, most staffers tend to agree on partisan issues.”
According to Wikipedia, which is always right (or rightish), employment discrimination is discrimination in hiring, promotion, job assignment, termination, and compensation. It includes various types of harassment. Many jurisdictions prohibit some types of employment discrimination, often by forbidding discrimination based on certain traits (“protected categories”).
Protected categories may include: race or color, ethnicity or national origin, sex or gender, pregnancy, religion or creed, political affiliation, language abilities, citizenship, disability or medical condition, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, and marital status.
We’ve certainly worked in environments in which “cultural fit” is important, but cultural fit is typically embodied by qualities like “self-starter”, “innovative”, “entreprenurial”. Not screening for political affiliation.
So, did (does?) New Belgium commit employment discrimination in considering “cultural fit” that allows most staffers to “agree on partisan issues” when hiring? Does this impact your willingness to purchase New Belgium products?
Perhaps this is just another chapter in the tolerance of the left.
I sent you a message
Pound sand. http://www.conservativejobs.com/
I agree. I just think both sides have flown off their rockers. Dems are way left and repubs are way right. There is no middle ground anymore. That's why shit can't get done in this country.
You know the party that championed women's voting rights eventually turned into the Republican party right? Also, that many civil rights acts are based on the civil rights act of 1875, championed by a Republican? I always find the terminology ironic that "liberals" want to restrict everything, and "conservatives" don't.
Looks like I've had my last fat tire.
And as much as I despise right wing nutjobs they are here to keep this country in balance. Without them we would all drive electric cars and smoke pot and sing about trees but without liberals it would be an anti woman anti color discriminatory totalitarian state that looks a lot like Iraq. It's all about the yin and yang brother
That beer is great and its right here in fort collins
Guess what, the company is in business to make money. Happy workers lead to more production. Therefore maximizing profitability from wages. I despise liberals but if it makes the company run smoother then go them. All of this fair employment shit in America is crap. To hire a less skilled employee because you have to meet some kind of quota is ludacris.
No it is not.
So you wouldn't object to the government requiring parents to meet a transgender quota for babysitters?
Obama's nanny was a transvestite and we see how he turned out. The government has no more right to tell me who I can hire to babysit my children than they have a right to tell a business who to hire. You might have personal feelings one way the other, but this issue should be argued and settled in the free market, not in the courts.
Jinkies! That's just not right!
btw, the New Belgium Brewing Co. favors Democrats. It should be obvious from my comment above that I despise Democrats, but I love freedom more.
What ever happened to freedom? How would you like the government telling you who you can hire to babysit your six year old daughter? What if the government forced you to hire babysitters without regard to gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, language abilities, medical disability, age or political affiliation? I absolutely discriminate on all these criteria and more. The New Belgium Brewing Co. should have the same freedom to hire whomever they wish.
Still, “we try to be really careful to allow everyone to have their own opinion,” says Jenn Vervier, the director of sustainability and strategic planning – but ummm really – not so much.
Don't have that moral Delia myself as I don't imbibe any brand. But I do like Red Bull quite a lot these last few days.
I'm for diversity in the work place political or otherwise and New Belgium Beer products. A dilemma thus does I have. Not really, I'll take the beer and lots of it. My conscious with be fine when bathed in the suds of a tasty 1554 or a smooth Abby Ale.
What an idiot. Let's piss off at least half of our customer base by claiming they are unfit to work at our company. Unfit to work there, unfit to buy your crappy product.
No more New Belgium products for us!
Just for the record, I wouldn't be in favor of a conservative owned business not hiring any Liberals.. Even Chick Fil-A has openly gay employees! New Belgium… get with the program.
I may have had my last Fat Tire. I tended to favor Odell's 5 Barrel Pale Ale anyway.
The largest problem of discrimination is that it limits your workforce by eliminating potential candidates that may have great value to your organization. Therefore: A stupid way to run the railroad.
I doubt I would meet their "cultural fit" criteria. Of course, this is similar to the way the "mainstream" media and academia similarly limit themselves. The results haven't been pretty.
Isn't new belgium owned by Pat Striker anyway? what is so surprising?
This could all be by design and a Marketing gimic to increase sales Hey, it worked for Chick-fil-A
Wow that sucks I drink fat tire all da time. Guess not anymore…
I've now lost my taste for Fat Tire! New Castle is much better anyway!