Want to read something disgusting? Check out this article: Unemployed Black Women Pretends to Be White, Job Prospects Dramatically Increase
From the article:
“Two years ago, I noticed that Monster.com had added a “diversity questionnaire” to the site. This gives an applicant the opportunity to identify their sex and race to potential employers. Monster.com guarantees that this “option” will not jeopardize your chances of gaining employment. You must answer this questionnaire in order to apply to a posted position—it cannot be skipped.”
Monster guarantees the option will not jeopordize the chances of getting a job?
How can they guarantee that? And, if it cannot be skipped, it’s not an option!
This is maddening. It’s crazy that it is anywhere on Monster’s page. It should not be on there. I’m guessing some HR knowitall asked for the breakdown in races for their equal opportunity reporting.
Monster should have stood up and said NO.
Alas, where does this leave us? Folks, discrimination exists EVERYONE. In your job search, in careers, in education, in stores, in parking lots, … everywhere.
How do people discriminate?
Let’s reword that. How do people judge you? How do people decide if they want to (hire, be around, recommend, etc.) you?
- Height
- Body shape
- Hair (lack of, color, style)
- Tattoos (which is more your choice than many of the others on this list)
- Clothes
- Handicaps (not sure what the latest PC way to say that is) – limp, canes, wheelchairs, blindness, etc.
- Religion
- Race (of course)
- Language (accent, stutter, slur, lisp, etc.)
- Ability to spell (sucks for dyslexics, doesn’t it?)
- Work history (job hopper?)
- Voice (too deep, to high, etc.)
- Age
- _____
There is no end to how people will make a 1/2 second judgement about you.
Because the person who does it is, well, human. Susceptible to mood swings, prejudices from parents and community, misinformation (the media is a horrible advocate of racism and prejudice, in my opinion).
It is illegal, of course. But tell that to people on the comments where I found the story. They say the Justice Department is just as prejudice as companies are.
It is not right. But it might be one of the worst problems in job search, career management, our life.
So then, what do you do?
Can you fight it? How?
Can the issue ever go away?
My last job, which I was relieved of on Feb 22, 2012, included a staff of only relatives, excepting 3, (includes myself). Even the manager’s sister was the alleged “HR” dept. All of the employees, from our department supervisor on down the line, were ethnic, meaning they were either Spanish or Black, excepting 1 of my co-works and myself.
This factor wasn’t a great issue, but the nepotism was outrageous. Our supervisor had her daughter, daughter-in-law, daughter-in-law’s boyfriend and relatives of other co-workers all answering directly to her. Her best “outside work friends” were a second ethnic group amongst us that were all related, as in sister, son and neice to the assistant supervisor. They all spent time together after work and were best of friends. Now, I could and did manage to work under these conditions, however I have ADHD, so it would always take me longer to complete reports or whatever my duties because I am such a nit-picker for details. I was told just 2 weeks before being fired that I was the only rep. doing my job correctly – by our Operations Manager, who happened to be of the same race as myself. I used to work until 9:00 pm to catch up my work, but was always enforced to email my clock-out time as 5:00 pm. On a separate email I had to detail all I had accomplished that day, which clearly noted the time on it, which was not 5:00 pm. I was laughed at and ridiculed for working so hard. Finally, management decided to put me on “probation” for 90 days to triple my work, however after 2 weeks I was let go. I have never officially mentioned these facts to anyone and ask that you would do the same. I may even have a case, but as a Christian I do not intend to try to harm anyone. Now, nearly a year later, a have a terrible complex about working – feeling inadequate, stupid, slow…you get me. It’s been an incredibly hard time this past year with not one interview to speak of. My age, 53, probably plays a large part. I guess that’s enough. Thanks for the vent.