unfair office promotion due to Indian caste system

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Promotions at work were announced last month. Someone from the offshore team in India was promoted. However the person that was promoted was the worst person in the team, very difficult and fustraitng to work with.

I found out today that this was due to him being in the same caste as the manager who handed the promotion.

I'm pretty ignornat about this, could this be true? Is it worth raising it with my manager?

The Indian team are employed by a subdivision of the company I work for and are Indian based.

Why would you raise it with your manager? Presumably you weren't in the runnnng for that promotion, so it would be telling tales. Plus, you would struggle to explain that concern without sounding like a massive racist/half wit.

Why wouldn't I raise corruption in my company? Their results would of influenced the rating of my team

In my company, large global US company, we would want to hear about things like this. Can you raise with the confidential hot line, if you have one?

Because you're working on a rumour. Reporting rumors about other people will reflect really poorly on you.

Mmmm, sounds like you're working off hearsay. It may or may not be true, but you're going to need evidence.

And why would you or your manager be getting involved in another team's promotions? I don't get your role in all this.

Rumours are often true as well as often untruths/embellishments.

All we hear about back in the day with Jimmy Savile was that it was "just rumours".

Report it OP. That shit has no place in a civilised society.

It is a rumour, but one very beleiveable as I've worked with all members of that team and know the inidivduals. Thanks I've booked something in to discuss this.

"I found out today that this was due to him being in the same caste as the manager who handed the promotion."

Might the person who told you this have an agenda? I'd steer clear ~ you're operating off the back of a rumour. Perhaps the person who let this 'slip' is happy for you to shoulder any repercussions of grinding their axe for them. You could well end up being accused of prejudice, as you seeingly have no evidence for the claim.

If you have offshore call centres you probably have a whistle blowing line.

I would report. It doesn't matter if it's hearsay; that's for them to find out when investigations are completed.

Reporting rumours in business is usually called 'whistle blowing'. It's important you report this, it can be investigated and if nothing's found to be out of line it will be dropped - no one will think badly of you for pointing this out.

Dilbert Principle?

Scott Adams proposed this twenty years ago.

I would report it discretely, if there's truth to the rumours then it can be investigated and if not it will be dropped.

We've had to deal with similar at work and it was tricky but needed dealing with. If there's an issue then HR or whoever will be glad you raised it before it got too serious.

I agree that you should certainly mention your concerns, as if this rumour is indeed true then it is a prejudicial decision based on caste and not ability or experience.

I suspect your company will have to tread carefully though as there are always different systems, traditions and expectations wrapped up in the cultures of all countries.

P

I would try to find a way of putting in a discreet report. Someone should be in a position to investigate this rumour and, if there's any truth in it put an stop to it.

I would think the important thing is that you know that person to be the least competent of all the candidates and that you have heard a possible explanation, which may or may not be true but... whatever the reason it is wrong.
As for cultural differences, nepotism is rife here in Mexico but that doesn't make it right.

Although the government haven’t made caste a protected feature under the Equality Act (even though there’s provision in the act for it to be made one), I believe that caste has been interpreted by employment tribunal judges as being part of ethnic origins, which is a protected feature under the act. For this to be illegal discrimination, it would have to be shown that others were discriminated against (ie because they were of the wrong caste or not part of any cast). If you have credible reasons to think this happened then yes, I think you should report it to HR or to your profession’s ethics body, if that’s relevant.

A caste system is the way that people live, their social norms that are not the same as other beliefs.
There is nothing I'm aware of that would mean any difference in the working environment.
I don't think women have the same opportunities as men and are generally treated as second class citizens. this happens in all caste systems not just Indian.
I'm not saying there isn't corruption in your organisation but if you are going to complain you need to be at least a little bit familiar with what a caste system is if you are going to use this as a reason.

We own a company with operations in India and I find this very believable.
However, it is more likely to be some sort of personal connection other than caste. In India personal connections are much more important than here and getting a job and progressing largely depends on who you know or who your family knows etc. it has always been this way and although foreign companies think they can change it I very much doubt it's going to happen any time in the near future.
Our India manager is quite " westernised' and we trust him to employ the best person for the job but we know he will probably favour people where there is a connection. He is actually quite honest about it and when recommending someone he will tell us that it's so and so"s cousin or similar. he would never employ or promote someone useless though based on a connection though.
You can try and prove that there is nepotism or similar going on OP but you don't have any proof and it's unlikely you can change how things are done in another country

This definitely happens and it's no secret in India. It's very common although also illegal there. If you can prove that the person is not capable, I'd be reporting if I knew who/what department to go to if I were you.

OP did the successful candidate get the job because of corruption in the interview process, or did someone over-ride the decision of the interviewers?

I am India. Worth pointing out from a discriminatory standpoint that any discrimination on the basis of caste is illegal in India. And no, the story is not that surprising.

Indian not India. Ooooffff.

Report the facts you know, not the speculation you have been told. You know that this person is a poor choice for promotion. You don't know the reason. So report it saying "I'm concerned that there may not have been sufficient checks and balances in the procedures as xxxx doesn't seem like a good choice for promotion because yyyy. I understand that a number of colleagues share this concern and I've heard rumours that there was some kind of corruption in the selection process but obviously I'm not in a position to investigate nor should I be"