Don Peck, in his article "They 're Watching You at Work," claims that more sophisticated, efficient and cost-effective technologies have altered the traditional hiring process. With ample evidence provided by the "potential power" of "data-rich" people analytics, this process will be replaced by algorithmic screening programs that eliminate the human affinity to subconsciously commit subtle yet impactful biases and ultimately benefit society by sustaining the contentment of workers (Peck 9). Peck contributes to the overall conversation concerning the impact on society of big data by providing his opinion of societal ethics and morality: he makes the point that although "people analytics" is seen to dehumanize individuals into mere scores, it
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Instead, he provides real life examples of diversified "big data" hiring processes from a plethora of different, representative companies: large corporations like Xerox Services and Harrah 's Hotel and Casino, to small start-up businesses like Knack and Gild. After researching the largest company of 2012, Royal Dutch Shell, and interviewing one of its executives, Peck explains that their highly effective but "extremely difficult and time-consuming" two-year hiring process led the executive to carry out an experimental assessment of previous employees through an algorithm that used "six broad factors as especially characteristic of those whose ideas would succeed at Shell." He then highlights how the "algorithm had identified...the top 10 percent of the idea generators" successfully (Peck 4). Peck proceeds to prove that this instance isn 't a special case. For each company that followed as an example, he reveals the same pattern: the difficulty of hiring employees through cumbersome, traditional processes and their conversion to a more efficient, data-based hiring process. Here, he proves that traditional hiring processes are being replaced by algorithmic tests and programs by providing concrete evidence of actual companies that are doing exactly what he is …show more content…
Peck weakens his claim by leaving an open-ended possibility that he addresses himself: "we will cede one of the most subtle and human of skills, the evaluation of the gifts and promise of other people, to machines; that the models will get it wrong; that some people will never get a shot in the new workforce" (Peck 5). In an effort to avert the reader 's attention from this weakening facet, Peck supplies the wholly valid alternative mentioned in the preceding paragraph, but although this alternative was effective in validating a different aspect of his claim, it still does not contest the fact that "machine error" creates a potential negation of his argument. On the other hand, in her article, "Always On," Sherry Turkle writes about how "our online selves develop distinct personalities. Sometimes we see them as our 'better selves. ' As we invest on them, we want to take credit for them" (Turkle 160). Turkle is also able to provide evidence from numerous accounts of how an online personality is much truer to an individual 's self than their real-world behaviors, something that Peck could utilize in order to refute the counter to his claim. Peck also seemingly reminds the reader of these doubts near the end of his article when he states that "old-fashioned judgment" will never fully be replaced by people analytics, where he also adds an example
Instead, he provides real life examples of diversified "big data" hiring processes from a plethora of different, representative companies: large corporations like Xerox Services and Harrah 's Hotel and Casino, to small start-up businesses like Knack and Gild. After researching the largest company of 2012, Royal Dutch Shell, and interviewing one of its executives, Peck explains that their highly effective but "extremely difficult and time-consuming" two-year hiring process led the executive to carry out an experimental assessment of previous employees through an algorithm that used "six broad factors as especially characteristic of those whose ideas would succeed at Shell." He then highlights how the "algorithm had identified...the top 10 percent of the idea generators" successfully (Peck 4). Peck proceeds to prove that this instance isn 't a special case. For each company that followed as an example, he reveals the same pattern: the difficulty of hiring employees through cumbersome, traditional processes and their conversion to a more efficient, data-based hiring process. Here, he proves that traditional hiring processes are being replaced by algorithmic tests and programs by providing concrete evidence of actual companies that are doing exactly what he is …show more content…
Peck weakens his claim by leaving an open-ended possibility that he addresses himself: "we will cede one of the most subtle and human of skills, the evaluation of the gifts and promise of other people, to machines; that the models will get it wrong; that some people will never get a shot in the new workforce" (Peck 5). In an effort to avert the reader 's attention from this weakening facet, Peck supplies the wholly valid alternative mentioned in the preceding paragraph, but although this alternative was effective in validating a different aspect of his claim, it still does not contest the fact that "machine error" creates a potential negation of his argument. On the other hand, in her article, "Always On," Sherry Turkle writes about how "our online selves develop distinct personalities. Sometimes we see them as our 'better selves. ' As we invest on them, we want to take credit for them" (Turkle 160). Turkle is also able to provide evidence from numerous accounts of how an online personality is much truer to an individual 's self than their real-world behaviors, something that Peck could utilize in order to refute the counter to his claim. Peck also seemingly reminds the reader of these doubts near the end of his article when he states that "old-fashioned judgment" will never fully be replaced by people analytics, where he also adds an example