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?

Yes, I have been involved in some initiatives along those lines. Alongside the affirmative action I am taking with recruitment they are helpful although some only work over the longer term. What I am doing produces immediate results.

I find it shallow that you, like other commenters, accuse me of having a "chip on my shoulder". I don't in any way feel jealous or inferior vs any privately educated person. In fact, I am one of the few have risen above the vast majority of them in my industry without the unearned privilege. What I do have is a sense of fairness and justice most fans of provost education lack, at least going by many of the comments on this thread.

Is it ever ok to actively discriminate against blameless individuals based on a group identity?
No. That would be unethical.

Can you justify doing bad things 'for the greater good?'
No. That would be unethical and historically has allowed great evil to follow this reasoning.

You think you're a one person crusade to right the injustice in the world but your logic and ethics are deeply flawed and what you are doing is wrong.

If that's your input, I very much certain I've never employed you :)

You are the villain in this story. Shocking you don’t recognise it

how about if it was described as "affirmative action for the non-privately educated"?

YABU. You’ve got a chip in your shoulder and it’s made you petty and vindictive. Plus by auto-rejecting some of the best candidates you’re actively working against your employer’s interests. If you think your employer should positively discriminate for applicants from stage schools, why didn’t you have the balls to lobby your employer to make that a HR diversity policy? Too lazy?

It has always been possible to make it to the top jobs in advertising with a state school background, I have two friends now in their fifties/forties who did so. But with your personality, lack of ethics and complete disinterest in doing your job, I don’t see you making even regional CEO. Feel free to blame your education if that makes you feel better.

(And by the way I went to state school. But that doesn’t stop me seeing you for what you are.)

More likely the other way around ; )
But I wouldn’t have rejected you based solely on your education. Because that would be idiotic.

How funny, ad man as lone social fighter.

Feeling sorry for his 100s of pretend employees, really.

@EastLondonObserver What's depressing is that you say 'Sometimes I have rejected them even when they clearly would have done a better job than a comprehensive school educated alternative'. Surely one of the points of attempting more radical attempts for balance is dealing with an unconscious bias towards the privately schooled eg when some recruiters at Oxbridge colleges thought standards would need to be dropped to enable state school pupils to have a 'fair'. But of course the opposite was true...not only did the state school candidates have exactly the same exam results (because Oxbridge is oversubscribed with too many candidates with the same, top results), but that they were often more motivated...Surely the ability to do the job should be a key factor otherwise it's a bit of a patronising process?

Was just about to say exactly this.
Whichever you look at it...it's discrimination. Most ppl want to know they got a job beause they earned it...not out of sympathy or "positive discrimination" or whatever you want to call it.
This is no different to ppl getting jobs based on their race.

YABVU

Purpleboy and Befrugee - you are spot on. OP gives me the 'shudders'.
As we say in my part of the world, 'she can't think further than the end of her nose'.

My poor children starting out in a career world with the likes of her recruiting or not recruiting based on where you parents sent you to school. This makes me sad

It raises a smile with me too sometimes :)

@LesLavandes considering the time and the day now, I wouldn't worry too much if I were you.

When I’ve been in a situation where I have been involved in recruitment I’ve done the same. Privately educated kids already get their fair share of privilege. Good for you op.

Yes, I have been involved in some initiatives along those lines. Alongside the affirmative action I am taking with recruitment they are helpful although some only work over the longer term.
What I am doing produces immediate results.
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?

I find it shallow that you, like other commenters, accuse me of having a "chip on my shoulder". I don't in any way feel jealous or inferior vs any privately educated person. In fact, I am one of the few have risen above the vast majority of them in my industry without the unearned privilege. What I do have is a sense of fairness and justice most fans of provost education lack, at least going by many of the comments on this thread.
You seem incredibly arrogant, convinced of your own self-righteousness, and have a huge chip on your shoulder about other people's education.

In some areas of my region it would be cheaper to send a child through private secondary than to move house into the catchments of particular schools.

Then some idiot like you would bin a young adult's job application based on some narrative you've created, whilst giving a job to the young adult who was lucky enough to have parents who could afford an extra £100,000 price tag on their house. 😂🙄

But the people I give jobs to aren't aware of my process so no-one feels 'patronised'.

No I'm sure they do, as soon as they meet you.

Do you have a secret handshake with your fellow state school mates?😂

But the people I give jobs to aren't aware of my process so no-one feels 'patronised'
Maybe you should tell them then and see if they like being told they've got the job because even if there were better candidates you didn't like their school so you binned the competition.

And get it in writing from HR and the CEO of the company that the company recruitment procedures don't apply to you.

And also make it clear on any job information packs that shortlisting will specifically involve EastLondonObserver binning your application if she doesn't like your school.

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.

YABU. How horrible to pre-judge people without even speaking to them. There are children at private schools who are there because they are orphans, refugees, very clever, as well as elathy people's kids. God you sound appalling. I get advertising attracts knobs but still.

@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?

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.

That’s incredibly unethical. I hope you can at least recognise this and remove yourself entirely from the recruitment process in your organisation.