awkward work issue

[moreexcitingthanbegonias]

I've just started a new job, and am currently in a handover period with the current postholder.

Without giving too much away for obvious reasons I was shown a document today that the panel who interviewed me used to select candidates for interview. The members of the panel shortlisted separately. The individual who shortlisted me put me down as a no because, in their words, my "english wasn't good".

TBH I was gobsmacked by this. I went over my cover letter and CV again and there were no grammatical or spelling errors at all, no weird clunky sentences, nothing. I have a first class degree in English and an MA. Of all the things that would count against me in a shortlisting process, this isn't even something I would consider.

The only thing I can think of is that I have a foreign name because my parents aren't British. But I was born and raised here. I don't even speak another language: English is my mother tongue.

Anyway maybe I'm being over sensitive but I feel upset about this now - the Director in question is my line manager and I'm worried. He gave me a 2 out of 5 on the form - and yet I was shortlisted, interviewed and given the role?!

I have got zero confidence as it is and it's taken a massive plummet tonight.

Thanks all. I'll see how it goes next week.

I wanted to update and say I had an awful day today and I just don't think the cultural fit is right for me at all.

I'm going to sit on it over the weekend and see how I feel.

Oh, sorry to hear that. What went wrong?

Oh no :(

Hope you're ok OP. Sometimes the first week can be awful though then turns out ok... granted I've never had somebody try to cast my CV aside due to non-british name though! Hope you're ok in any case

I'll tell you the reason this probably happened:

They themselves have a substandard grasp of English.

That would explain why you were hired, because the other interviewers knew it was crap.

Cultural fit is nearly always a code for something else. What is it?

Well, firstly I was hired part time and I've already been asked to attend meetings which are outside my working days and hours.

Secondly they want to improve their equality and diversity but they don't even want to have an E&D monitoring form or do blind recruitment as it is too much admin burden and they are too small a team (fwiw, in my previous role we were half their size and still had one).

Thirdly I was told the role was home based (though they have an office) but I'm already being pressured to come to the office at least one day a week when restrictions lift from 2 December.

& other things which I suspect are just personal to me, being an introvert.

My view is your LM displayed bias during short listing based on his perception of the origins of your name.
I bet you interviewed fantastically.and are best person for job.
I think the mat leaver is terrified you'll be better than her and purposefully showed you this man's writing to undermine your confidence.
On the plus side you now have excellent evidence if he behaves inappropriately with you.
Dont resign - this is your chance to change the culture and it sounds like your the perfect person to do this. Talk to the others on the interviewing panel. Get your feet under the table first - review and assess who are key influencers. Write one page recommendations for change. Tell them politely no when they go outside of job requirements.
You can do this.
But... if they are pigs to you, get out and SUE.

Does the person you’re taking over from also work part-time, and if so did she attend out of hours meetings, or is she full time and they’ve employed you on less hours expecting you to do a full-time job!

That's exactly what happened. She works full time and yet they've employed me on less hours. Naively I didn't probe this at interview, I simply assumed she worked part time. I queried this and was told that 2.5 days of tasks would be redistributed around the rest of the team. But I am not convinced.

As someone who interviews there are so many errors and assumptions made by the company during the recruitment process.

I would use this as part of an evaluation to inform working in your new role. Diversity, racism, data protection all in question. Starting points for you, gather more evidence to secure your evaluation and use to inform the improvements you need to make.
Go you, you can make an evidence based difference.

Sounds like a shit organisation.

I would look for another job and leave!

I just think if 2.5 days can be distributed round the rest of the team for a year's maternity leave, why then have a full time role at all?

You need to complain! It is racial discrimination, even if you did get the job. It appears you were given that job either because the original candidate turned it down or because it was ticking the diversity box. You should raise a grievance, regardless of their position.

Could it have been laziness?/sloppiness? "Oh yeah the one with the foreign name"...

@ForthPlace

As someone who interviews there are so many errors and assumptions made by the company during the recruitment process.

I would use this as part of an evaluation to inform working in your new role. Diversity, racism, data protection all in question. Starting points for you, gather more evidence to secure your evaluation and use to inform the improvements you need to make.
Go you, you can make an evidence based difference.

This. The company sounds weirdly sloppy.

I wonder if this bloke was somehow defending his mate’s patch - the one who’s on maternity leave - for whom he wrote the gushing tribute.

You poor thing OP, my worst and shortest job ever was in a small company with no HR ...well the bosses ex ...who was beyond useless. Follow your gut instinct is my advice if it doesn’t feel right get out now ...life’s way too short! Good luck

It's really shit what has happened, OP. I agree with you that I think it was racial bias which is absolutely disgusting behaviour and inexcusable. From your point of view, I think you only really have 2 options:

1. Move on from the incident, put it behind you, and get on with your job whilst looking for another job

1. Bring it up with your line manager that you have seen the documents and therefore the comments made during the screening process and see what happens from there. Although if its a mat cover job, I'd be tempted to avoid going down this route as it could cause conflict and when you put this employer down on your CV as a reference it could come back to haunt you

It's really shitty, but you need to think of yourself and your future. Continue to look for other jobs and get out of there. I'm sorry this has happened to you OP

Hmmmmm definitely some potential red flags from your Friday update. Surely it should have been communicated you were PT so that none sent you invites for our with your hours?

Did you leave another role for this position?