Diversity and government jobs - whatever happened to ability and competence???

my experience as both an employee and employer in both local and national UK government depts, is that absolute buffoons are employed purely on the basis of diversity. My number 1 criterion in employing someone is their ability? I don't disagree with diversity/equal ops, but competence should be the main factor in any employment, any one agree?

As an employer in the public sector I have to say that the vast majority of the 'buffoons' I have come across in any public sector professional job are white, British, males. Women and those from ethnic minorities tend to have to be better just to get hired and certainly to survive. In my experience, the problems come from white, middle-aged men with narrow, stereo-typed visions of what constitutes competence. (Hope thats not you!)
And as an employer I would never knowingly hire someone who was incompetent. If I get passed such a person, as happens from time to time, then I get rid of them from the organisation: whatever gender or ethnic background. If that doesnt happen its because of poor management (yes, usually by white, male, British managers).
Of course, the public sector also employ a lot of low skilled, poorly educated people, mostly on low salaries in non-professional jobs. They are frequently drawn from deprived communities and so reflect the ethnic make-up of those. But thats not because of diversity, its because anyone with a decent chance at life wont take those jobs.

Same problem in the USA and it's terrible! The level of customer service has virtually disappeared and the comfort level of we "civilians" dealing with most Government based employees is just a tad above non-existent! I'm not even sure diversity is the issue since I can remember this same problem from at least 40 years ago when diversity wasn't yet a potential consideration for employment; You'd think that we as individuals would demand much better from our Government, but who to turn to? It's a Catch 22 situation and I hate it!

My experience is that people hire other people if they get along with them, look like them, act like them. If they get along, they work well together, and learning is easier. When people get jobs it is often who they know, and perhaps who their family is. Of course, we are not talking about technical jobs here, but those jobs that require mostly on the job skills.

I think requiring that you hire somewhat people who appear to be less able but really aren't for the sake of diversity is fine. For example, someone with a degree from a high class private school may not really be more able from someone from a lower class public school.

It is absolutely true that competence should be the sole criteria in any employment ,but, how to judge or find out who is the real competent one for the job. Again involvement of human error , influence and partiality will come in .
Therefore, until each and every citizen of the country accepts his/her responsibility , the situation can not change.