Racial discrimination is a major contemporary issue in hiring and the workplace. Racial discrimination involves denying people from a particular race equal treatment and opportunities as the others due to variations in personal characteristics such as skin complexion, gender, culture, social class, and hair color. Often, racial discrimination is difficult to detect due to the underlying societal norms and history. For instance, an employer may offer many viable reasons for not employing a qualified candidate for a job post. The subtle nature of racial discrimination in the workplace makes it hard to face the employer for discrimination cases even when the evidence presents itself. Though various state and federal laws against racial discrimination in the workplace exist, myriad factors and underlying norms and culture deter finding proof against the vice.
Many White individuals reject racism toward racial minorities since they believe and characterize racism as deliberate acts inspired by spite and hate. Racism, on the contrary, may happen without cognizance or purpose. Racism happens remarkably more often than most whites tend to believe when described as an unequal evaluation based solely on ethnicity, notwithstanding motive. Based on a study, candidates with white-sounding identities (like Walsh) get 50 percent more callbacks for appointments than similarly competent applicants with African-American names (such as Lakisha) (Bourabain, 2020). According to the researchers, simply being White provided a similar benefit as an extra seven years of job experience—a significant advantage over equally skilled Black individuals.
According to research, persons of color are completely conscious of these discriminatory inclinations and may attempt to combat them by hiding their ethnicity. According to a study, 31% of Black experts and 40percent of Asian specialists interviewed conceded to “Whitening” their curriculum vitae, either by embracing less “ethnocultural” names or failing to mention non-academic experiences (such as university membership) that could reveal their cultural identities.
Impacts of Racial Naming on Corporate Recruitment
These results raise an additional question: Does whitening a résumé genuinely aid Black and Asian candidates or hinder them when applying to companies that want to diversify? A study conducted in America in which they submitted Whitened and non-Whitened curriculum vitae of Black or Asian candidates to 1,500 actual job listings in different sectors and geographical locations throughout the United States (Livingstone, 2020). 50% of these job advertisements were from organizations that desired to hire people from various backgrounds. They discovered that whitening curriculum vitae by changing names, and after-school activities raised the callback percentage for Blacks from 10 percent to almost 27 percent and Asians from approximately 12 to 22 percent (Livingstone, 2020). What is more troubling is that a corporation’s declared culture of diversity did not reduce the partiality of white applications and resumes.
The research is just a tiny sampling of the various research that has confirmed the existence of racial discrimination during employment and the workplace. Therefore, there lies an emphasis on the need to recognize and address people’s attitudes and prejudices as the initial step to formulating a reform (Livingstone, 2020). Although some executives recognize structural racism in their businesses, many may require persuasion that racism remains amid “race-neutral” practices or pro-diversity pronouncements.
Root Causes for Racism in Employment and Workplace
Understanding the origins of a condition is crucial for discerning the optimal treatment. Various psychological variables, such as false beliefs, personality attributes, morality viewpoints, psychological imbalance, recognized threats, or a drive for superiority and self-image enhancement, may contribute to racism (Bourabain, 2020). The majority of racism, however, is caused by structural variables such as existing norms, organizational procedures, and social behaviors. The majority of these factors are not malevolent. Despite this, employers often ascribe discrimination in employment to the personality of independent actors, so-called rotten apples, than it is to broader structural issues.
Consequently, they implement training to “cure” workers while paying less attention to the toxic company culture (Bourabain, 2020). It is far simpler to identify and blame certain people when issues develop. When police agencies encounter racial problems, the first instinct is to punish the guilty parties or change the police commissioner rather than investigate how the culture allows or promotes discriminatory conduct. Another strategy to exonerate deeply ingrained cultural or organizational practices accountable for racial inequities is to refer to circumstances outside one’s control.
Dimensions Influencing Racial Discrimination in the Workplace
Racial discrimination during employment and workplace is influenced by class, culture, and sexuality. Statistically, women constitute half the global population but are less likely to compete fairly for job positions despite possessing similar skills and experience as men. For instance, in America, women constitute only 47 percent of the workforce while men take up the rest, 53 percent. According to a study, women face job limitations in 100 out of 173 countries globally (Kalev & Deutsch, 2018). Additionally, the report further indicated that in 18 countries, qualified women in specific job roles must acquire their husbands’ permission while applying for the jobs. Women from racial minority groups experience a tremendous toll in seeking employment.
Socio-Economic Status
Socio-economic status is a significant influence on a lack of diversity in the employment and workplace. The socio-economic disparity between global countries is usually more pronounced among specific states than others. Usually, people from different socio-economic regions elicit different attitudes and diverse reasoning regarding common issues in the employment and hiring process (Kalev & Deutsch, 2018). For instance, in some societies, people possess stringent and conservative opinions over the use of money, while others from well-off families and societies tend to take more risks and are less conservative. While both approaches may work, employers often seek to employ people in conformation with their beliefs and social norms.
Education
Education remains one of the social determinants among children for a brighter future. However, due to the existing gaps in socio-economic standing and systemic racism, many students from minority races gain access to low-quality education due to a lack of critical essential resources. In America, studies indicate that the systemic segregation of families through laws such as the Black Wealth accumulation and Exclusionary Zoning Policies deter brilliant racial minority students from accessing the best schools (Valant, 2020). The study conducted a survey in which most responders attributed poor academic performance by black students to poor parenting rather than the underlying societal inequalities.
Racial discrimination in recruiting and the workplace is a prominent modern concern. Racial discrimination denies equal treatment and opportunity to members of a specific race because of differences in physical features such as skin and hair color. Racial prejudice is also influenced by social status, gender, and culture. Racial prejudice is sometimes challenging to detect because of underlying cultural norms and history. Though many state and federal laws prohibit racial discrimination in the workplace, a variety of circumstances, as well as underlying conventions and culture, make obtaining evidence against the vice difficult. The majority of racism, however, is caused by structural variables such as existing norms, organizational procedures, and social behaviors.
References
Livingstone, R. (2020). How to promote racial equity in the workplace. Harvard Business Review.
Valant, J. (2020). The banality of racism in education. Brookings.
Kalev, A., & Deutsch, G. (2018). Gender inequality and workplace organizations: Understanding reproduction and change. SpringerLink.
Bourabain, D. (2020). Everyday sexism and racism in the ivory tower: The experiences of early career researchers on the intersection of gender and ethnicity in the academic workplace. Gender, Work & Organization, 28(1), 248-267.