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To think being prejudiced against the privately educated is OK

936 replies

EastLondonObserver · 02/11/2022 13:39

I have spent 25 years working in the advertising industry at some of the most highly regarded agencies in the world. Most of these have been dominated (in certain roles, at least) by the privately educated who gained their entry to the industry through having personal/family contacts in it, were subbed by rich parents while working in low-paid or free internships to gain experience and had that empty confidence private schools instil.

Perfectly capable graduates educated comprehensive schools didn't get much of a look in. However a few managed to break through, including myself.

Consequently, throughout my career I have actively rejected almost all privately educated graduates applying for entry level positions. This runs into hundreds of applicants. I have managed to do this without being called out. Sometimes I have rejected them even when they clearly would have done a better job than a comprehensive school educated alternative. These were corporate companies - it made no meaningful difference to me if they were mildly less successful as a consequence. The only exception was one graduate educated at Harrow and Bristol. I gave him the job as an experiment. He was average at best.

I did this in the name of social justice: re-distributing opportunities away from those with unearned privilege.

Have I been unreasonable? Has anyone else done the same?

OP posts:
MarshaBradyo · 02/11/2022 16:43

Dassams · 02/11/2022 16:40

And does the CEO of your company know you're doing your own thing regarding recruitment?
Have HR put it in writing that you've got the company's blessings to bin applications where you don't like the school?

This is what I'd like to know too.

I can’t imagine what title the op has to lack scruples in this way

EastLondonObserver · 02/11/2022 16:44

YouOKHun · 02/11/2022 16:41

@EastLondonObserver What do you do with a comp educated person who got into Oxford and came away with a First? In the “yes” pile or the “no” pile?

Yes pile. Will be interested to hear your response and whether you think that contradicts my policy.

OP posts:
Oblomov22 · 02/11/2022 16:44

I don't understand your logic. You do seem to have a massive chip. Why would you not hire the best candidate? Irrespective of their schooling?

Frankensteinisamonster · 02/11/2022 16:44

Cool story bro. 🤣 no one is this incompetent as you’re making yourself out to be, bringing your own idiotic prejudices to work .

you’ve never recruited anyone in your life. Guaranteed.

Dassams · 02/11/2022 16:45

I agree - this is a wind up Hmm

LolaSmiles · 02/11/2022 16:46

Thankyou for reinforcing my point.

Parents who spend 100k extra on their house to get into a 'better' state school catchment really are rather rare in most areas of the country. Another faux-argument from the defenders of unearned privilege.
Not reinforcing your point at all.

I believe in making more careers representative of society.

I don't believe in arrogant fools binning applications from people because they don't like the school the applicant attended as a child, and find it laughable that anyone apparently in a senior position thinks that's acceptable and they're awesome for doing it.

LolaSmiles · 02/11/2022 16:46

Dassams
It has to be.
Nobody that senior can be that foolish.

EastLondonObserver · 02/11/2022 16:46

Frankensteinisamonster · 02/11/2022 16:44

Cool story bro. 🤣 no one is this incompetent as you’re making yourself out to be, bringing your own idiotic prejudices to work .

you’ve never recruited anyone in your life. Guaranteed.

well there's several commenters on this thread who have said they have done the same, so that immediately negates your "no one" claim.

OP posts:
autienotnaughty · 02/11/2022 16:48

I think it's acceptable. It's not discrimination, it's equality. In the same way businesses have a responsibility to ensure they give opportunity to minority groups this is ensuring people who are at risk of being overlooked are not.

SteveBuscemisRheumyEye · 02/11/2022 16:48

I think it's "wrong" but I absolutely adore you for it.

Dassams · 02/11/2022 16:49

well there's several commenters on this thread who have said they have done the same, so that immediately negates your "no one" claim.

Probably all the same poster Hmm

MmeArnault · 02/11/2022 16:50

SteveBuscemisRheumyEye · 02/11/2022 16:48

I think it's "wrong" but I absolutely adore you for it.

@SteveBuscemisRheumyEye Just got yourself a job 👏

LolaSmiles · 02/11/2022 16:51

autienotnaughty
Most businesses would have a recruitment policy and and have details on their recruitment strategy and any affirmative action or adjustments required for HR.
It's right to have appropriate recruitment procedures that all recruiters in the organisation follow.

Oblahdeeoblahdoe · 02/11/2022 16:53

I agree with you. Those from state schools who have achieved the same or more than those privately educated have shown greater resilience and endeavour in my opinion. State educated kids have been discriminated against for decades (just look at the % Oxbridge students who are privately educated ) and deserve this extra support from someone like you.

citroenpresse · 02/11/2022 16:54

Ha, @EastLondonObserver it's you that is doing the patronising - whether the person who's been hired feels patronised or surprised because they thought there would be better candidates is not relevant...you are not respecting those who are applying for jobs.

MarshaBradyo · 02/11/2022 16:54

LolaSmiles · 02/11/2022 16:51

autienotnaughty
Most businesses would have a recruitment policy and and have details on their recruitment strategy and any affirmative action or adjustments required for HR.
It's right to have appropriate recruitment procedures that all recruiters in the organisation follow.

Yes to this. Which is why the op is either unethical and lacks scruples or is winding people up.

herbygarden · 02/11/2022 16:56

I think YABVU - I was privately educated, because my parents chose for me to be and they sacrificed everything to pay for the fees at a relatively low cost private school. I have worked incredibly hard in every job I have ever had because I learnt the value of hard work through my parents. I currently work in a job paying little over minimum wage, I love it and I give it my all. To think someone would reject my application because of where my parents chose to send me to school is upsetting and depressing!

Suemademedoit · 02/11/2022 16:56

Setting aside the strong stench of a God complex coming from your posts, YABU because private vs state is much, much more nuanced than (for example) man vs woman, white vs minority.

All things being equal, I would be right behind you (and my kids are privately educated). But there's simply no way you can tell from a CV who a person is. I'm with you that large corporations can suck up a few mediocre employees for the sake of redressing some sort of social imbalance; I'm with you for taking matters into your own hands and owning it; I'm with you for not giving a fuck what anyone thinks because you think you're doing the right thing. But you're just wrong on your underlying hypothesis. And for that I think you should stop. You may have done a lot of harm with your actions.

Wideawakeandconfused · 02/11/2022 16:57

I get the need to change but this isn’t the right way.

Children don’t get to choose their school setting. Both my DC moved from state to private schools due to their complex SEN needs. I feel so grateful they can have some support. They’ve been discriminated all their school life and now this! Awful attitude.

DemBonesDemBones · 02/11/2022 16:57

You're awful.

LolaSmiles · 02/11/2022 16:58

Yes to this. Which is why the op is either unethical and lacks scruples or is winding people up.
Agree, though I suspect they're either too arrogant to see this or they don't see many people under their bridge.

purplemama1990 · 02/11/2022 17:01

This is horrible. No one should be judged on where they went to school. You can judge them on their grades and what they got in their degree, but it is definitely not fair to discriminate against them because their parents sent them to a private school. Would you be happy if someone discriminated against you because of what school you attended?

Sitdownnigel · 02/11/2022 17:01

I’m fairly sure that this thread is a case of, “If I were ever to be in a position of power, this is what I think I would do”.
Fortunately, I think it’s unlikely that the op will ever get to make such decisions.

BotterMon · 02/11/2022 17:03

Hope you've got a good chiro as that huge chip on your shoulder must make you very wonky.

Completely unreasonable and detrimental to the company not hiring the best candidate for the job. If I were to find any of my staff doing this, they'd be removed from any recruitment responsibility.

EastLondonObserver · 02/11/2022 17:03

Sitdownnigel · 02/11/2022 17:01

I’m fairly sure that this thread is a case of, “If I were ever to be in a position of power, this is what I think I would do”.
Fortunately, I think it’s unlikely that the op will ever get to make such decisions.

That's a nice easy way to dispense with actually coming up with a counter-argument, but very far from the truth.

OP posts:
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