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Original poster

My female boss actively seeking to recruit a man into a new role in the team...

30 replies

RowRowRowCrocodileScream · 14/04/2015 23:36

I work in a professional role in a growing company in an all female small team. There is an additional role being added to the team because of workload and in team discussions my boss has made no bones about the fact she would prefer to recruit a man with the insinuation that it's better not to have a yet another woman of childbearing age in the team, I did challenge her on this but was not able to change her mind. Unsurprisingly a man has been appointed. This has really annoyed me and I wanted to vent. I am trying to see her point of view about wanting more "balance" in the make up of the team Hmm but I keep coming back to the view that she should have been looking for the best person for the job without pre-judging who that might be.

I am fortunately leaving soon to join an organisation which takes equality much more seriously. I am, nonetheless, disappointed that this still happens and worse still, facilitated/ orchestrated by a woman! call me naive

OP posts:
Original poster
RowRowRowCrocodileScream · 14/04/2015 23:57

Do that = take parental leave

OP posts:
Original poster
RowRowRowCrocodileScream · 14/04/2015 23:55

Her reservation about hiring a man seemed to be that she thought men are loyal and likely to change roles whereas women stay put and then I handed in my notice confounding that theory

Good point about parental leave drinks, although I doubt she would seriously consider that a man might do that.

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Original poster
RowRowRowCrocodileScream · 14/04/2015 23:50

I did have to pick my jaw up off the floor Grays!

She deflected some of the blame onto her male boss but I got the impression she didn't think there was anything wrong with it at all. She also said that everyone in the team was too similar we are all female and late 30s to earlier 40s but are hardly clones so would prefer a man for the new role.

I do remember when I alluded to something vaguely feminist when I first joined she was pretty dismissive so I wasn't entirely surprised.

OP posts:
drinkscabinet · 14/04/2015 23:43

Point out that since men and women can take parental leave now she should only be recruiting women over 45 since a man of any age might decide to take 6 months parental leave.

My father was once involved in a hiring decision where they picked the man over a woman of childrearing age. The man left after 6 months for a better offer.

GraysAnalogy · 14/04/2015 23:39

I can't believe she was so forthcoming about it :/

I've worked in places where they have tried to recruit women or minorities because we weren't a diverse workforce, which I think is just as bad, because as you said it should be on the merit of best person. I'm not sure how well positive discrimination works as a whole.

What did she say when you pulled her up on it?