According to a report from Politico, New York City’s Democrat Mayor Eric Adams is requesting photos of city job applicants, as he wants to ensure that new members of the workforce are diverse.
“Flagging that the Mayor would love all agencies upper leadership in this type of style,” reads an illiterate April 19 email from an Adams staffer. “Clarifying also that the avatars in the attached should be actual photos as the Mayor likes to begin to recognize folks [sic] faces.”
However, one former employee suggested everyone knew that the request was really a way for Adams to prioritize racial and ethnic diversity. “It was the first thing everybody said: ‘We’re going to start counting complexions now,’” the employee said.
But Fabien Levy, a spokesperson for Adams, said the administration seeks to build a team “that reflects the city they serve and the administration they represent.”
“City Hall reviews the resume of all final candidates for senior level positions at agencies to ensure the mayor and we at City Hall know who is point on projects when working with them,” Levy said in a statement to Politico. “The Adams administration is hiring the best people for the best jobs in the best city in the world. And we are committed to building a team that reflects the city they serve and the administration they represent,” he said, seemingly admitting that diversity is front and center.