Working Hard Didn't Work

In the past several years, I've spent a lot more time learning about racism, reflecting on my own experiences with racism, on when I was part of systemic racism. The common cry from many who believe that systemic racism isn't a problem is that people should just work hard and they will get ahead. This is a story of a Black man who did just that and it didn't work in that hiring system.

I was hiring for a regional maintenance leadership position. In my daily review of resumes, there was an applicant in the system who was attached to over 120 positions in our system designated an internal candidate for the company. Some recruiters will see this and not even bother to open the application assuming if they hadn't been hired yet, it's not even worth looking at the resume. I opened the resume. The applicant was fully qualified for the position, exceptionally qualified for the positing meeting every requirement and all but one of the preferred requirements for the position so I scheduled a phone meeting.

On the resume:

• Bachelor's Degree - Mechanical Engineering
• Technical Diploma - Drafting
• 15 years with the company - 4 years production, 3 years maintenance technician, 8 total years supervisory positions (varied and in 4 separate locations all in the region that this manager would lead)
• A six sigma green belt
• Multiple company award recognitions earned

In the interview, I learned of his impressive career history. I learned how when he worked on the production lines and equipment would break that he would just roll up his sleeves and fix it, because he knew how. I learned that when a defective part came out of the line and machine tolerances needed to be reset, he was often credited with finding and reporting the problem before the QA team even knew. I learned he'd designed a reconfiguration of production lines while in school. I learned he'd been given awards for saving the company millions of dollars for process improvements resulting in cost reductions. I learned he'd been encouraged to take advantage of the company's tuition reimbursement program to obtain both his technical diploma AND his bachelor's degree. I learned he'd been applying to maintenance manager positions for six years, every time one came available, anywhere in the nation and sometimes other parts of the world. I learned he worked VERY hard. His degree was earned in a time of mandatory overtime and wage freezes 12 hour days at work plus 12 credits a semester. He graduated with a 3.5 GPA. I learned he'd done everything he was told to do. I believed he was the most qualified candidate for the job, hands down without a doubt in my mind. He did not share my enthusiasm. "We'll see....he said"

There were two finalist who went through the ridiculous hiring process that included eight interviewers for a manager-level position. Every plant wanted a say and they were led by a Director who valued unanimous support for hiring this position.

I led the debrief discussion. I was a witness to and documented feedback, but had ZERO decision influence. This is when I learned what corporate coded racism sounded like. This is where my naive bubble popped. This is, for me, undeniable evidence that I was a party to systemic racism. This is not the only story like it, this is the story of when it became undeniable in my view of hiring.

"I'm not sure he'll fit in with the leadership team." (7 White men and one male person of color)

"His knowledge of all the production methods and the equipment is incredible, I'm just not sure we can have him leading vendor negotiations, he lacks professionalism"

"I'm just not sure he's management material"

"If he was a bit more polished and articulate, I'd support the hire, but XXX presents better....is more professional"

The majority representation of this team decides what's professional, what "presents" well, what is management material, and what will fit in.

Who they hired. They hired a person with 6 total years of experience and a mechanical engineering degree who barely skated by the minimum qualifications for the position (two years of production, two years as a maintenance tech, 2 years as a supervisor all with one facility). They hired the LEAST qualified person in the talent pool for that position. The hired him for being an "up and comer" with "lots of potential" because he was "well spoken" and "very professional." They hired the White guy.

This is a story that you could likely hear through much of the manufacturing sector of the US. This is a story that is not unique. This is the story of a Black man who did everything he was told to do EXCEPT "act white". He wore his hair in braids, his speech included a bit of slang, he carried a micrometer in his pocket at the interview (apparently this is unprofessional), his suit was "loud and not interview appropriate".

There really is no such thing as acting white. There is an expectation by many white people that somehow we get to a standard for how people speak and completely ignore that we speak and act as a byproduct of our environments where we learn. We mostly live and move in white spaces with white people and our "normal" somehow becomes the standard definition for behavior by all? To expect a person to "act" at all denies them the ability to be themselves. We cling to the notion that individuality should be celebrated while simultaneously telling people that they aren't doing individuality right. We've demanded assimilation to our version of professionalism, our version of articulation, our version of business appropriate fashion our very white versions. This is just one version of systemic racism at work.

I implore everyone who is involved in hiring at every single level of an organization to rethink your version of communication, professionalism, and fitting in. Reflect on your experiences in interviewing people who don't look like the majority group at the table. If we agree racism is disgusting and that we no longer want it to be a part of our society we must go deeper into our understanding of racism and it's impacts on everyone, including us. Stop telling Black men and Black women to "work harder" to get ahead until that same hard work is provided the same rewards.