Well, not technically. In application, however, it is. Companies aren't supposed to have "quotas" - but you're lying to yourself if you think large businesses don't. It's a CYA policy, not always verbalized in public. A company needs so many X people, not only on the shop floor, but also in management, as evidence of non-discrimination, should an X person not get hired, get fired, not promoted.
X can be old, minority, female, whatever .... if X has a negative experience it may be claimed it's because they're X, not because they were lazy and worthless. So you stack the deck to build your future case.
