Would you take a the job?

[StillLMFAO]

NC obviously
I’m not going to go into details about the company or the job and this is this not a drip feed.
I am curious to know that if you really badly wanted to do a job (for arguments sake let’s say a sports journalist) you’ve tried really hard to get it and it’s been an impossible industry/market to break.
After years or effort you are finally hired by a firm and it’s the real deal.
But...before you start you were openly and informally (cause if it was formally, it would be illegal) told that you were hired because you fit an ethnic/gender/sex/whatever other demographic.
You are not any more (or less) qualified than the next person but they are trying to diversity their team and have picked you for that specific reason.
Would any of you take the job?

Way too many hypotheticals and conjecture in this post for me to give a proper answer.

Two major questions:

• I presume this is about you. How did you know that you were hired for "diversity reasons" - did they tell you?

• is there another plausible and fair reason perhaps ( a need to bring more stories and perspectives from an ethnic minority background) which led to this hire?

And one final question:

Do you think in ten years time, after a decade of success in a profession you've spent ages trying to get to... that you'll ever remember any of this?

Yes I would. A good opportunity to show them what you can do.

Yes I would take the job. Whether spoke about or not a lot of companies do this, some just aren't as open about it. I used to work for the police. They often recruited saying they 'welcome applications from minorities'. They never actually said that people got the job because of their ethnicity/gender/sex but they definitely did.

Only if I had a foreign accent :)

Yes. For all those times that you've lost out because of your ethnicity, it's time that it worked in your favour.

If you are qualified and able to do the job, don't let them undermine you. Sounds like there is still an element of racism there. Get the experience you need from the company and move on

Yes.

Yes, I would. I’m not against positive discrimination, I think it can be a really good way forward in industries where certain groups are severely underrepresented.

If I was being told that I was less qualified than another candidate then that would be a different matter, and I wouldn’t want the job over someone they preferred.

Yes, use it as a stepping stone. As long as you are equally qualified and it's not just to tick a box, why shouldn't you have this opportunity?

Definitely but as usual, expect to work twice as hard.

Yes, because if they have hired using positive action (which is legal) then it means you tied for first place and your specific characteristic was the tie breaker.

Rather that than a coin toss.

Yes - nothing wrong about positive role hiring of minority candidates

I would take it.

If it is a journalist job then most media purveyors are tripping over thenselves to be seen as diverse, so a similar organisation could be just the same. Experience and contacts matter so grab the opportunity.

Be wary if the employer has just made everyone reapply for their own jobs though, or just moved operations across the country. Morale will be really low so may not be the dream job you hoped for!

I would probably take it but I would be a bit careful the employer did not tell me all that so they could undervalue my contributions.

Yes, if I thought I was good enough. Those kind of industries have always worked on nepotism and luck, so why not planned diversity? It’s better than old school tie. What matters is whether you can hold the job.

This is common in my sector (IT) and I have used every advantage offered. At the end of the day I know I have the skills required, does it really matter if my foot in the door was because they needed more females in the IT team.

Ok
@Ginuwine - there was a fair amount of conjecture in that when I read it back - apologies.
Thanks everyone else for replying. It sound like most people would find it acceptable/take advantage of this level of prejudice in a situation that benefitted them. For everyone that took the time to reply and said yes, would you find it equally acceptable if your company/employer fired/made redundant you based on the same ethnic/sex/race/gender characteristic.

*just to let you all know - I did take the job. My personal viewpoint WAS that if someone fired/made me redundant based on that specific characteristic I would be quite annoyed, but this encounter has made me rethink and I now feel I would be a massive hippocrit and don’t really have a leg to stand on if I was prepared to take a job based on my ethnicity but not prepared to lose one.

I don’t think you’re a hypocrite. There’s suddenly been a step up in diversity awareness and organisations are scrambling to meet the challenge in different ways. You’re not responsible for setting an employer’s HR policies. All you can do is apply honestly.

@StillLMFAO

NC obviously I’m not going to go into details about the company or the job and this is this not a drip feed. I am curious to know that if you really badly wanted to do a job (for arguments sake let’s say a sports journalist) you’ve tried really hard to get it and it’s been an impossible industry/market to break. After years or effort you are finally hired by a firm and it’s the real deal. But...before you start you were openly and informally (cause if it was formally, it would be illegal) told that you were hired because you fit an ethnic/gender/sex/whatever other demographic. You are not any more (or less) qualified than the next person but they are trying to diversity their team and have picked you for that specific reason. Would any of you take the job?

Yes I would take the job. Women / minorities have been underrepresented for so long and hired less due to so many different factors throughout their lives that don't give them the same opportunities. Positive discrimination helps rebalance this and gives you a chance to prove what you can do. You're entitled to that opportunity and deserve it. 💪

OP, can I ask how you're experience has been now that you have taken the job?

I worked for an organisation where this kind of thing blatantly happens (on the quiet of course). I have seem other members of staff have it held against them for the rest of their career by the 'old guard' who are still in senior positions. I have unfortunately witnessed work placement bullying based on their protected characteristics as well.

Yes; tell yourself you are good enough and then put it to the back of your mind and get on with doing a really good job.

I don’t think you’re a hypocrite. Being hired based on a protected characteristics vs. being fired based on the same thing, are very very different. One is about rebalancing long-standing societal discrimination, the other is about reinforcing it.

You are clearly good enough for the job OP, or they wouldn’t have hired you, and you have the added advantage that you’re bringing a different perspective to what I’m guessing is a fairly white, male profession. That’s the main reason employers use positive discrimination practices, because they know that diverse teams perform better and it gives them a competitive advantage.

So hold your head up high, you deserve this job and nobody can question that.

Yes