To think being prejudiced against the privately educated is OK

[EastLondonObserver]

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?

Although the OP is making a fantastic point for anonymised applications, with the possiblity of selecting those that meet the criteria based on other attributes (anything that is generally discriminated against). I'm pretty sure dozens and dozens of excellent firms do this anyway.

The problem with blind hiring from this POV is it results in many more private than state educated applicants being successful.

It's not 'unearned privilege' if they have studied and passed their exams.
And you reject them in favour of a candidate who is inferior? Who do you think you are? Social justice? No, just a cramped wee mind full of bias who gets a buzz out of exercising
the only power you have access to.
I really hope that you get caught out in this cheating

People's values change over time.

In theory this should mean more state school candidates recruited overall. Assuming it’s just prejudice that has been making her colleagues favour private school candidates of course
I'd imagine that private school candidates would still be disproportionately advantaged as by having a more privileged backgrounds they'd be more likely to have had the benefit of tutoring, support on internships, not had to work through university so could do more career opportunities.

Obviously the sort of middle income family who cuts back to afford private is probably unable to afford to finance lots of internships and city accomodation, but certainly the more wealthy will be able to keep the advantages

I grew up in "a most successful European" 'society'(?): their state school system is vastly superior to its UK equivalent and the ruling elites are still educated in the private sector.
Not sure what you're talking about though: if we abolished the private sector all children would have a good educations? A crap education?
What is structurally unfair is a mediocre state school system.

It’s entry level positions. Young people who are dealing with getting their first job. I feel sorry for them ending up in front of the op rejecting them due to prejudice.

Why are my actions "stupid"?

I am increasing the number of non-privately educated people in the industry, which is my goal. My actions achieve my goal - the opposite of 'stupid'.

This is one of the daftest things I have read on Mumsnet.

Lol, I must admit I thought the same. While we are being stereotypical, I was surprised to see that someone who worked in advertising thought about unequal structures at all 🙈Soz OP.

You talk about your goal OP. Are you the owner of this company?
If not, what about the company's goal that pays your salary & tasks you with a specified role to further their strategy, not yours

The problem with blind hiring from this POV is it results in many more private than state educated applicants being successful.

there are ways to make sure you don't reject candadites based on certain criteria: race is one, for eg, sex etc. You can set the parameters how you like to catch them. I think the civil service do this kind of thing?

Why are my actions "stupid"?

because there are far far better ways of increasing diversity in a workplace/industry than one lone SJW binning applications just because someone went to Cheltenham Ladies College. There has been a lot of research done by highly qualified people, and we have literally decades of results to look back on now and see what worked and what didn't. People don't like the term "affermative action" but carried out properly you get good candidates from a wide range of backgrounds.

Not so much of the 'languishing in state schools' if you please. Many state schools are very good indeed.

Lolz. I know it sounds counter-intuitive, but there are a few of us who do care. Advertising agencies don't just make ads for crisps and cars and whatnot, but also for charities, the NHS and the Labour Party.

Oxbridge CVs went straight in the bin. Whilst not going this far, I know that applicants in my industry with the relevant degree tend to have a more theoretical education from Oxbridge than from other universities. They are therefore, less likely to be selected for interview.

I think you've hit the nail on the head here as to the responses you are getting.

Lolz. I know it sounds counter-intuitive, but there are a few of us who do care
Given you care so much are you involved in outreach projects where organisations share careers information with state schools?
Are you involved in any partnerships with local state schools to help level up?
Are you regularly campaigning for meaningful entry level jobs that are paid (as opposed to a revolving door of interns working for free)?
Do you speak up about the need to look beyond the hiring process to help make your industry more inclusive and representative of society?
Have you spoken to HR and made sure that hiring processes are reviewed?

Or do you just enjoy feeling powerful as you bin certain applications due to that huge chip you've got on your shoulder?

Op, people like you are the reason I left the advertising industry. Unintelligent, biased (either one way or the other) tossers trying to be interesting and unique but seemingly unaware of the utter twaddle they are spewing.

It's not my company. With regard I am prioritising my goal over any corporate goal. It doesn't bother me if commenters deem that "unprofessional" or wrong in any other way.

Incidentally the company claims to seek 'diversity' but continues to be heavily biased towards the privately educated.

Yes, well as someone said you want to hire of mini-mes.
You'll miss.out on pp like @confessionstoday because of your prejudice: that is stupid.
You sound like a power-crazed middle manager. I tell you what, if one of mine wants to go into advertising I'll disown them I'll go ways over your head. Watchu gonna do?

Do you follow private /state school education proportions? Harsh on candidates, because they don't get to choose their schools but radical action is often the only way...

Is it technically fair? No. But are expensive private schools fair? Also no. Those guys will do well regardless of you chucking their CVs in the bin. Tbh I think that recruitment should be based on percentages of privately educated vs state educated pupils (so about 30/70 everywhere). Might put some parents off paying for their not very bright kids to go to public school just as entry into an elite club (Mr. and Mrs. Johnson I'm looking at you).

What’s your title op? Is it HR Director - are you in the HR department

Or are you in a specific department - creative, accounts etc

"do well regardless of you chucking their CVs in the bin" 😮Are you kidding me with printing every CV on paper? Now that bothers me.

Surely you can’t tell whether they were dreadful or not before you’ve checked their education history - isn’t that how you decide these things?

Imagine the embarrassment of you describing them as ‘awful’ and then finding out that they went to state school, not private school! Wouldn’t you feel like a right twat then! - thinking they were awful when all along they’d been brilliant. I mean - that is how you make your decisions, isn’t it?