Brief Analysis of Ayo's Submission About Her Job Interview

There are some things that I want to make sure did not go unnoticed by The Black Factor blog readers regarding Ayo’s job interview:

--The interviewer made a point to discuss the company “culture” with Ayo and to note that they considered themselves “liberal.” However, there was only one Black employee at this company. She was the only so-called minority working there. Do you think the employer would have discussed a diverse culture, if the applicant were White? No, he would not have done this because the information would have been deemed irrelevant and/or inappropriate;

--The interviewer stated that previous employees had resigned because they had not received the mentoring they desired. Who makes a statement like this to a prospective employee? Wouldn’t believing that they would not receive proper and appropriate support, guidance, and/or training discourage individuals from considering employment with a company? Clearly, the interviewer was sending signals to Ayo regarding the true company culture;

--The interviewer inappropriately mentioned that Ayo was being considered for a position that was only vacant because the person who resigned was denied an opportunity to advance. This reinforced the previous comments about lack of mentoring. So, not only did the interviewer tell Ayo that she wouldn’t receive any mentoring, if she desired it, he was also letting her know that she wouldn’t advance within the company;

--Most importantly, the person who left (the job Ayo was applying for) was the only minority worker at the company;

--Ayo was asked to take a test outside of her area of specialization, to ensure that she would not qualify as the appropriate candidate for the position;

--The interviewer set up conditions that would result in Ayo taking the test at home and not at work, during business hours. If Ayo were to take the test at the interviewer’s job site, she would be taking the test during standard hours of business operations (9 am – 5 pm);

--Ayo was interviewed for one job, but was offered another job that was far more junior to the position she applied for;

--Ayo was not told that she didn’t have great skills. In fact, Ayo was told that there was a lot of work she was qualified to perform. In fact, the interviewer bragged that Ayo would “save us a lot of money.” In other words, Ayo was told—to her face—that she was going to intentionally be underpaid for her value and contributions to this potential employer;

--Ayo was offered a $20,000 pay cut to take this job. Surely, no one reading this would argue that a White candidate would have been offered such a paltry salary;

--Like Warner Wolf, the legendary New York Sportcaster, the interviewer wanted to “go the the videotape!” Yes, the interviewer desired a videotape showing Ayo doing her job. Do you think he would want a videotape from prospective White employees? I doubt it. It would have been assumed that a White prospective employee was qualified, even before a reference check! More importantly, the ad and requirements for this position did not mention that applicants should send a videotape, if they had one.

I know many of us like to think of racism as the Boogey Man! But, the Boogey Man can be as real as the person sitting next to you.

Live in reality. Really analyze what is being said and done to you. Listen out for what is real and what is a pretext/excuse. Clearly, in Ayo’s case, there was an immediate effort—from the start—to ensure that she would not fit the parameters of the job that was open. Ayo applied for a significant position, but was offered a junior-level job instead. This behavior is commonplace, when the Black Factor determines how an organization is managed, including how hiring decisions are made.

Please post your comments on what happened to Ayo or on my analysis of the incident. Send an email to blackonthejob@yahoo.com or post your personal experience with racism in the workplace.