Job postings and "years of experience" requirements

Kind of shocking to me that the majority of job postings still list number of years as a requirement.

First and most importantly, this shows an (unintentional?) implicit bias against underrepresented groups, cutting out those with non-linear career paths and those who have faced systematic barriers (women, people of color, minorities). Diversity is so critical for a team’s overall success, as any good product should have representation of its customer base.

Secondly, years of experience is in no way a proxy for competence. Some of the very best people I’ve worked with had a year of experience, and some of the biggest duds were people with dozens of years of experience. Smarts, ambition, and attitude are what matter, not years.