Racial Equality - Inequality in the Workplace?

[IxilaFA]

If the company was going to hire the black guy anyway, they shouldn't have even let the white guy think he had a chance. Apparently that company had only one opening, and it was to implement an equal opportunity policy, so it was misleading the white guy.

So, it's unacceptable. Instead you find more acceptable that minorities should find themselves excluded. Don't say that's not what you said, i know. But it's a very likely result of a lack of equal opportunity policies (because it's already happened). If you don't find that acceptable, then tell me: what are your solutions against discrimination?

---------- Post added 2012-06-10 at 07:35 PM ----------


The past tells us how we reacted when there was no measurements against discrimination.

This isn't rocket science. The wording on race discrimination laws needs to be changed. It should specifically state that no discrimination shall be made based solely on race. Affirmative action, quotas, and anything that suggests that one race should have priority over another, no matter what the situation, needs to be thrown out. A lot of large companies, presumably to fight bias and discrimination, run the interviews through a specialized HR department that sends the important information gleaned from the interview on to the hiring manager, who then makes decisions based solely on merit for who gets a second interview.

A two interview process is the minimum that should be required of any work place. This goes a long way to fighting bias, and to making sure that ONLY qualified candidates make it to the second round.

[Deleted]

Yes, because justice courts and lawyers are largely out of work and there is barely any litigation.

Just try to imagine the amount of lawsuits that a legislation of that kind would spring. And wouldn't be easy: it's quite simple for an employer to disguise any kind of racial discrimination, as there are no 2 identical candidates only differing in their race. And it does very little against subconcious discrimination: it's almost impossible not to feel that a person more similar to you is smarter and nicer than someone very different to you, even if you consciously know that racism is stupid.

Thanks for your insight about the procedure of interviewing. As you surely realized, it's largely meaningless for the topic at hand.

[eriseis]

Btw, you guys are aware that there's studies that indicate that it takes minorities with the same qualifications as a white person weeks more to find a job?

[Archangel Tyrael]

Btw, you guys are aware that there's studies that indicate that it takes minorities with the same qualifications as a white person weeks more to find a job?

Exactly what minorities? Are blacks really considered a ''minority'' in the USA?

[eriseis]

Exactly what minorities? Are blacks really considered a ''minority'' in the USA?

Anything non-white is a minority. Did you think African Americans were not a minority?

[Ret4resto]

Btw, you guys are aware that there's studies that indicate that it takes minorities with the same qualifications as a white person weeks more to find a job?

Don't bother trying to reason with them....

There are also statics that support the fact that white women are the number one beneficiaries of affirmative action, yet they conveniently ignore this. Affirmative action is only a problem if someone non-white is benefiting from it.

Not only that, even with Affirmative action in place minorities are still systematically discriminated against in corporate america. Most companies will hire the token black, or the token asian in order to create a false image of a racially "equal" environment. Example, the token black woman modeling at a runway show, and 99 percent of her peers are white women.

I also like how many of these individuals assume that if a black person beats them out of a job it's due to affirmative action, They never stop to think that maybe the black individual is more skilled than they are....of course not, their little superority complex blinds them from rational thinking.

[eriseis]

Don't bother trying to reason with them....

There are also statics that support the fact that white women are the number one beneficiaries of affirmative action, yet they conveniently ignore this. Affirmative action is only a problem if someone non-white is benefiting from it.

Not only that, even with Affirmative action in place minorities are still systematically discriminated against in corporate america. Most companies will hire the token black, or the token asian in order to create a false image of a racially "equal" environment. Example, the token black woman modeling at a runway show, and 99 percent of her peers are white women.

I also like how many of these individuals assume that if a black person beats them out of a job it's due to affirmative action, They never stop to think that maybe the black individual is more skilled than they are....of course not, their little superority complex blinds them from rational thinking.

Or the fact that racism is still rampant. I used to not believe in it until I moved to Boston, racism here is rampant and racial tensions are reflected everywhere.

[Claymore]

It's because people fail to recognize the difference between "Equality" and "Diversity".

Equality means we're treated equally and judged on our own merit.

Diversity means people of different skin-colors, regardless of merit or attitude.

I think the Diversity Act had its place, back when we were trying to bring Blacks and Whites together. Now that we *are* together, though, the Act needs to be revoked.

[Archangel Tyrael]

Anything non-white is a minority. Did you think African Americans were not a minority?

I thought that the number of blacks in the US was higher than I imagined. Turns out I was wrong.

[eriseis]

It's because people fail to recognize the difference between "Equality" and "Diversity".

Equality means we're treated equally and judged on our own merit.

Diversity means people of different skin-colors, regardless of merit or attitude.

I think the Diversity Act had its place, back when we were trying to bring Blacks and Whites together. Now that we *are* together, though, the Act needs to be revoked.

I don't think we're together at all.

---------- Post added 2012-06-10 at 08:23 PM ----------

I thought that the number of blacks in the US was higher than I imagined. Turns out I was wrong.

It's a prominent minority, but not as large as prominent. In terms of numbers they are even losing ground to Hispanics.

[Ret4resto]

Or the fact that racism is still rampant. I used to not believe in it until I moved to Boston, racism here is rampant and racial tensions are reflected everywhere.

Yes, RACISM DOESN'T EXIST ANYMORE! We have a black president now! WE ARE LIVING IN POST RACIAL AMERICA! yay! /sarcasm

This is the logic of many idiotic individuals that live sheltered lives. And yes, I've read a lot of articles pertaining to racial animosity in boston. Used to be a Asian guy on youtube that made videos on the topic as well, he moved to the U.S from korea and he used speak about a lot of his experiences regarding racism at his college.

But meh, whatever. People can't seem to understand perspectives/experiences that are different from theirs so there's no point in discussing this topic anymore. Enjoy the rest of your day though man, laters

[nixcookies]

I'm a manager at software development company and when we hire people their ethnic background does come into question.

At one point our workforce was around 95% white, we thought this wasn't really fair and didn't reflect the image of our company very well so we took steps to diversify our work force, it's still around 70% white though unfortunately.

People think it's unfair when you have 2 candidates of equal merit and one gets chosen because of their skin colour/religious beliefs, but many things in business are unfair also as employers we have such a wide selection of candidates to choose from to fill our positions it's hard to pick the right one, this makes it a little easier.

[Thelxi]

We now go through a time where being an advocate for equality is smart, cool and a thing of the future. Being friends with another race is cool, being pro-gay is cool, hiring people from different races is cool too.

My university has many courses which are very hard to get accepted to. More than half the applications get rejected every year. However if you have a foreign passport, and can prove your "international background", you are far more likely to be accepted. The more exotic the better. Then they go on and advertise how international they are.

The OP's issue is not equality or anything along those lines, its the trend of equality that bit his friend's ass.

[Sforza]

The only shit u gain with this kind of politics is mediocrity, Now that african guy is thinking something like this for sure. "Why should i be good or work hard if they have to hire me by obligation".
Complete bullcrap, jobs are for the people best suited for.

[phenom568]

Personally, I find it utterly retarded. However, since it's a private entity we're talking about here, I'd say they're free to make such a choice. And they should be free to make the choice not to hire someone because of their race. Not because I think racism is good, but because freedom of association is one of the most fundamental freedoms we have.

Was there some kind of law or regulation that forced them to hire the African?

While they aren't forced to do it a company receives tax breaks from the government when they reach certain quotas, so basically the black guy is cheaper than the white one which basically means we are moving backwards and not forwards.

---------- Post added 2012-06-11 at 05:47 AM ----------

At worst your grandchildren will be getting laughed at or slaughtered by the new majority who won't really give a dam about them, their beliefs or their supposed rights.
At best we will populate the country with interracial children who lose all ties with their racial backgrounds, and also unify under a single language.

I vote latin

---------- Post added 2012-06-11 at 05:56 AM ----------

If the company was going to hire the black guy anyway, they shouldn't have even let the white guy think he had a chance. Apparently that company had only one opening, and it was to implement an equal opportunity policy, so it was misleading the white guy.

So, it's unacceptable. Instead you find more acceptable that minorities should find themselves excluded. Don't say that's not what you said, i know. But it's a very likely result of a lack of equal opportunity policies (because it's already happened). If you don't find that acceptable, then tell me: what are your solutions against discrimination?

---------- Post added 2012-06-10 at 07:35 PM ----------


The past tells us how we reacted when there was no measurements against discrimination.

If a business isn't hiring minorities because they are minorities it is the responsibility of the media to report such actions then we as consumers can react and either shut that business down or force them to change their ways. Currently what we have is government sponsored discrimination which is far far worse and has little to no way of stopping it.

[Deleted]

If a business isn't hiring minorities because they are minorities it is the responsibility of the media to report such actions then we as consumers can react and either shut that business down or force them to change their ways.

You... you really do believe that, don't you?

That's how arnarchists and libertarians think world works... but reality proves once and again it doesn't. Boycotts very rarely achieve anything... and in this case, it's quite likely that the company that would refuse to hire minorities would actually increase their business, thanks to the sympathizing new customers.

[Booshman]

You stated that the job went to a man that nobody has ever heard of, yet somehow you are "knowledgeable" about his work experience? Are you actually knowledgeable? or are you just assuming that just because he's black he has no basic understanding of the requirements for the job? SOME white people have this warped opinion concerning affirmative action, I have to chuckle at the stupidity that is often posted when it comes to this topic. Affirmative action calls for employers to diversify their staff, this does NOT mean employers are hiring complete idiots just because they're Non-white. When Affirmative action didn't exist mass discrimination existed in the work force with the majority of jobs going to white men, hell discrimination against minorities still exist even with affirmative action.

And guess who benefits the most from Affirmative Action? WHITE WOMEN, don't believe me? do the research for yourself.

lastly this is an obvious race bait thread

Quoting, because this dosage of truth (which was conveniently ignored) ended the thread. And just to add to this, white women only later were added to the list of candidates for Affirmative Action by white men, in order to bring money BACK into white communities. Communities that were already better off than other non-white ones. Which goes against the sole purpose for AA and makes the "equal playing field" far harder to achieve. A factor that is intentionally ignored by a frighteningly high number of knee-jerking idiots, who fail to think objectively.

---------- Post added 2012-06-11 at 05:15 PM ----------

You... you really do believe that, don't you?

That's how arnarchists and libertarians think world works... but reality proves once and again it doesn't. Boycotts very rarely achieve anything... and in this case, it's quite likely that the company that would refuse to hire minorities would actually increase their business, thanks to the sympathizing new customers.

This sounds like nothing more than worthless well-wishing. What's this based on?

[Deleted]

This sounds like nothing more than worthless well-wishing. What's this based on?

Have you seen how much support get the companies that are accused of racism/sexism?
Do you know how things were before the equality/diversity policies were stablished? Do you know how things are in other countries for minorities where they don't have these kind of policies?

Well, then go learn it first. The western world doesn't make up the whole world, there are plenty of countries where minorities, while legally equal, are routinely shoved to the fringes. And then they get blamed for it, because majorities have this weird tendency to feel oppressed by the minorities... somehow. That's how pogroms start.

[Deleted]

This happens more than regular racism to be honest.

This is simply not true.

But it should not happen at all. But then again if the top guys at your company want to show the world that they are "equal opportunity employers" they should hire more minorities.

[bayre]

Ok so, ive been working for my company for about 2 years now. We employ around 1400 people, and in my department there are around 40 workers.

Most of the people who work there are white. I live in a predominantly white area.


Every year during our busy periods, we get temp workers to help cover the extra workload, these are 3-6 month contracts, so me and my colleagues get to know them quite well during that period.

Last year we get this guy called Dan, and he was fantastic. Very hard worker, great guy, and performed more than satisfactory. He was also white.


This year we are taking on a permanent extra member of staff and had a series of interviews. Dan was amongst them. Everyone knew he was going to get the job, even the managers who were interviewing him. He was perfect for it.


But wait...............


He didnt get the job, and instead the job went to a random African guy that nobody had ever heard of, who had little experience of what the job actually entails. When we asked the managers what had happened, they all fell silent and refused to answer. There were hints that Head Office forced them to hire a black guy, solely based on his skin colour, so that it looked like we are equal opportunity employers.

Now hold on a second, i am all for equality, especially in the workplace, but surely somebody should get a job based on merit and not because of their skin colour?


Does anybody else see this situation as completely wrong? Or is it just me?

sorry i didn't have time to read what everyone else said but i have to say i agree with head office, it is vital in a work place to have employees from a variety of backgrounds, if everyone thinks alike no ideas are challenged, and there is less room for innovation and growth.

especially because the other non white races tend to be a lot dumber, so they make everyone else feel better about themselves and sometimes the solutions to problems can often be more simple than us whites tend to realise and the other races can help to bring us down to earth