Internal Candidate: I appreciate you taking the time to speak with
me. I understand that people like me aren’t normally given the opportunity
to apply for this position.
Hiring Manager: People like you? I want to assure you that our
company does not discriminate against a candidate or employee based on race,
gender, age—
Internal Candidate: I mean an internal candidate. You always hire at
this level from the outside.
Hiring Manager: Do we?
Internal Candidate: Uh, it’s my job to examine and understand trends.
Yes, you definitely do. You’ve never promoted someone to this—or a
comparable—level from the inside. Employees call it the promotion ceiling,
because, as you said, it doesn’t seem to be based on protected classes. You
regularly promote people all the way into my current level, but for the next
one, you always look for external candidates, and then continue to promote
from there.
Hiring Manager: Really?
Internal Candidate: Yeah, you don’t even post this on the internal
job listings.
Hiring Manager: I’m sorry, I didn’t realize this. I don’t normally
conduct these interviews personally. I’m just the one who’s in the office
right now.
Internal Candidate: Yes, because I requested this meeting via email,
since I wasn’t allowed to apply through the system.
Hiring Manager: You couldn’t have just found it on one of the job
board sites?
Internal Candidate: The questionnaire asks whether you or a family
member works, or has worked, for this company. If you check yes, it will
disqualify you from consideration shortly thereafter. It doesn’t technically
say that’s why, but...I’m pretty sure that’s why.
Hiring Manager: We use a contractor, of course, to manage our
listings. I was not aware of this problem. I assure you that this is
entirely an error. At least, if it’s not, I was somehow left out of the
decision-making process.
Internal Candidate: Yeah. So, does this mean you’re willing to
interview me?
Hiring Manager: I think I already am.
Internal Candidate: Okay.
Hiring Manager: Have you noticed any other issues like this? Have you
seen discrimination of any other kind, or unfair disadvantages, or other
weird things?
Internal Candidate: Well, in terms of the hiring structure, not
really. I’m sure there’s plenty of discrimination happening we don’t know
about; either because the manager doesn’t let on that they’re doing it, or
they don’t even realize their prejudices themselves. I do know of one thing
that’s frustrated our customers, though.
Hiring Manager: Oh, please, what is it?
Internal Candidate: Well, we have a product return policy of sixty
days. You can request an extension, starting on day sixty-one, and ending on
day ninety. It’s a form you fill out online, and an actual person has to
review these every single time.
Hiring Manager: Yes, I am aware of this policy.
Internal Candidate: Well it’s fine, except I guess the system has
some sort of software bug. To fill out the form, you have to input the order
confirmation code, of course, and if the order was placed sixty-two days
ago, the form just won’t submit. Which obviously just defeats the purpose,
unless you happen to be precisely one day late. Customers have been forced
to print out the form, fill it out manually, and either fax it in, or send
it through snail mail.
Hiring Manager: Oh, that’s terrible. I don’t remember the last time I
sent a fax, or used the mail service for anything short of a package.
Internal Candidate: Same.
Hiring Manager: I suppose it’s at least good that they do have some
kind of workaround.
Internal Candidate: Yes, and no. The fact that there is a workaround
has prevented us from correcting the mistake. If it just didn’t work at all,
we would be flooded with complaints, and someone probably would have done
something to solve it. Though, I have heard anecdotal evidence that some
customers just give up, and keep the tools they don’t really want.
Hiring Manager: That’s a good point.
Internal Candidate: Yeah.
Hiring Manager: So, you’re applying for a management position in the
marketing department?
Internal Candidate: That’s right, sir.
Hiring Manager: As a hiring manager, I have the authority to contrive
new positions, within any department in this division. I can, however, speak
with my counterparts in other divisions, and increase that scope.
Internal Candidate: I’m sorry, I don’t understand.
Hiring Manager: I’m formulating a plan. I think the company as a
whole would benefit from a job—or even an entire department—that’s solely
responsible for catching these types of errors, and coming up with
solutions. How would you like to get a real promotion, and really break
through this ridiculous promotion wall?
Internal Candidate: Wow, um...yes.
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