Thinking back about a prejudice that I witnessed years ago comes from a when I was up for a job promotion. The promotion was between me and another girl name Tara, well the Tara and the assistant were best friends and hung out all the time. Before the assistant started, the director was personally working with me to be promoted next. I usually follow all rules and regulations, and this annoyed the assistant because it often made more work for her. When it came time for the promotion, the director asked for the assistant's opinion, well the assistant was biased and said her friend was better. Tara ended up getting promoted and was no longer with the company within a few months. The decision to promote Tara was based on a bias opinion. This incident didn't have any equity as it was not a fair choice; the choice should have been made on experience, professional, and other things. Thinking about this incident brings back the pain the I felt when I was not picked, I was disappointed because I was highly qualified for the position. I knew immediately that it was because the assistant didn't like me and it was upsetting. The things that would have to change for equity to happen in this situation is the person or the process. The assistant and director should have looked at nameless resumes and picked the most appropriate one for the job. The other thing that could change is the assistant; she needed to make an unbias choice and give her opinion based on facts, not feelings.
Mary,
ReplyDeleteI believe that what you experienced happens more than people like to realize. Prior relationships can not be part of a hiring process. I love to think people can change, but chances are the assistant director will not. I am sorry this happened to you.
Virginia
Mary,
ReplyDeleteWhere I come from, this is a perfect example of how things work. We have this saying, "It's not what you know, it's who you know". Being from a very small community, if you were not part of the family who is the boss of the community, government, or agency, you would not get the job. I had the experience during a job interview where I did not get the job because one of the other applicants was the niece of the supervisor.
Hi Mary,
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing the personal story. This experience and others shared by members of the cohort are telling the story of what shapes our lens and individualized approach to ECE. I thoroughly enjoyed reading and reflecting on the prime example of personal relationships and their influence on the workplace shared in this post.
Wishing you well,
Travis Alumbaugh
That sounds like a really frustrating even to have to go through. Were you able to bring your concerns to the director?
ReplyDeleteHi Mary,
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing you post. This problem happens a lot in job, and I feel that it is completely unfair. When it comes to getting a job it is always about who you know not what you know. Great post!