Why are the perspectives on the interview so different, and were they fair?
1. Tasiana
Why are the perspectives on the interview so different, and were they fair?
Based on the Diversity Challenge Video, each of the perspectives were very different because the company was a large and it was a workplace full of different people. There was a diverse community in the large company. It seemed as if there were different cultures, and diversity. The more diverse a place is, the more different beliefs and attitudes there is likely to be in this company and workplace environment. I think the perspectives were fair and right.
Why would or wouldn’t you offer Alex the position?
It all honesty, this one is tricky. I would like to offer Alex the position because he has the education with a good resume. However, since the Company is very large and has a diversity of different people, being a people’s person and having extensive communication would be extremely important. Being respectful towards others as well is essential. I would not offer Alex the position because I do not think he can be molded into the type of person that is needed for the company. He mentioned he was not a people’s person and well in mostly every workplace, one must have that attribute. He already made a female employee upset and feel very uncomfortable because he was starring at her. Other employees that were introduced by him encountered this vibe from him that was odd, and his whole demeanor was different. He presented himself as if he did not want to have any conversations and was not people friendly. I think hiring Alex would possibly lead towards lawsuits, and I would rather not put the company through that.
Identify 2 insights into diversity management you gained from the video and its analysis.
One insight I realized is that taking a training based on cultural and diversity is important when working for a large company. It is important to take trainings on sexual harassment as well, just to educate people on how to behave professionally and be respectful (and not stare nor make any comments) in such a large workplace environment. Another insight I gained is perhaps providing an orientation on communication for a larger and diverse workplace environment would be essential. Letting new employees know what this company expects and how there is lots of success ahead, with the fact that everyone must be people friendly, courteous and be able to communicate with different people.
2. Preston
There seem to be some deep-rooted issues with Alex that I would want to be addressed right away. To be perfectly honest, it’s a pretty bold attitude to have to go into an interview especially letting your potential employer know that you are looking at other options instead of focusing on them is the plan for the unforeseen future. Taking into considerations companies make it very clear on their position when it comes to equal opportunity and treating team members with respect, there definitely would have been a discussion addressing his obvious attitude prior to the interview. Alex’s qualifications alone won’t get him an offer from me if I was the hiring official. I look at eh total package and taking into consideration the world we live in today, his attitude is not needed. If that is truly the type of person he is he’s a major PR nightmare and doesn’t allow for a culture of acceptance where everyone on the team is treated equally. A couple of insights taken from the video are the diverse atmosphere within the organization, as it seemed all different types of people filled positions. It was also nice to see Craig made it a point to let Alex know that the company promotes have a diverse group of people within the organization as well. A major concern of mine would be how uncomfortable Alex made a couple of the employees feel before he even was interviewed. Creating a hostile work environment before a candidate even starts the job would be a red flag for me and would make me look further into the candidate pool for a better rounded person for the position.
3. Tyler
Felix is what most of the workforce is made up of, white men. From my understanding, this would be his first job or job with a larger workforce, and he does not have experience working with a diverse group. Since there is such a diverse group, each person views the world through a unique lens, so Felix’s first impressions did not feel open to the current workforce. He was uncomfortable being around people who were different, and that in turn made them feel uncomfortable. I think the different perspectives were fair about the interview given the diversity that brings different viewpoints and ideas.
Even though Felix exhibited questionable reactions, it seems as though he is a qualified job applicant. Cascio (2010) states to “be sure that there is a legitimate, job-related reason for every question raised in an employment or promotional interview” (p. 119). I am not too sure if it would be permissible to ask a question in regard to working with and supervised by a diverse group of people, because it seems as though it may present a challenge for Felix and the current workforce. To me, it does seem relevant to the job, but if I would not ask this for every interview, I do not think I should for this specific one. In the end, I would hire him based on his qualifications.
The first insight I gained is why it is so important to have preventive actions for a hostile workplace, which can interfere with job performance (Cascio, 2019, p. 115). Felix exhibited many microaggressions within minutes of being in the office, and “although subtle and brief, victims of microaggressions reported ill consequences, including feelings of being hurt, frustration, anger, rage, powerlessness, and alienation” (DeSouza, Wesselmann, & Ispas, 2017).
The second insight is that hiring needs to come from qualified persons who can perform essential work, however interviews are subjective and if the applicant exhibits behavior not aligning with company policy, I think it would be appropriate not to hire. Those policies ensure that a diverse workforce feels protected and valued.
