Activision calls for proposal to interview at least one diverse candidate per “impractical” position

Activision calls for proposal to interview at least one diverse candidate per “impractical” position

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A new report found that Activision Blizzard is resisting the adoption of a hiring practice that would require the company to interview at least one candidate who is a qualified woman or a minority candidate. Activision Blizzard, through its lawyers, classified this practice as “impractical”. In a new VICE report, the AFL-CIO, the largest labor federation in the United States, submitted a shareholder proposal to Activision Blizzard and Electronic Arts (EA) requesting it to adopt a hiring policy that would require each company to include women and colored people in your initial group of potential candidates.

The AFL-CIO is a shareholder in Activision Blizzard and EA, and the letter request was sent to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).The proposal follows the model of the Rooney Rule of the National Football League. Adopted in 2003, the rule required NFL teams to interview at least one non-white candidate for a coaching position. VICE reports that the rule was later expanded to include women and other marginalized candidates.

Activision, a company with more than 9,000 employees and creator of some of the biggest games like Call of Duty Black Ops: Cold War and World of Warcraft: Shadowlands, reportedly was irritated by this proposal. It took steps to exempt itself, claiming that these guidelines were excluded from the SEC’s guidelines for shareholder proposals.

In addition, a letter from Activision, obtained by Motherboard, states: “Although the company has implemented a Rooney rule policy as envisaged [for director and CEO nominees], implementing a policy that would extend such an approach to all hiring decisions is tantamount to an impractical usurpation of the company’s ability to manage its business and compete for talent in a highly competitive and dynamic market. “

Activision claims that this proposal violates the SEC’s guidance as a way for a shareholder to “micromanage” the company. In a statement to VICE, EA said it “will consider the shareholders’ proposal” with its Board of Directors.

It should be noted that these proposals are not legally binding. What they end up doing, however, is to highlight the problems and pave the way for the company to solve them. But Activision appears to be at the forefront of these discussions.

Matt TM Kim is an IGN reporter. You can contact him on Twitter @LawofTD.

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