Is There Still Racism in IT Hiring Practices?

noahz asks: "Today [now three days ago] in the United States marks Martin Luther King Day, remembering the birthday - and legacy - of the great civil rights leader. It's been over 40 years since his march on Washington, back when IT was still in its infancy and was exclusively a white, male field. But, how much progress has been made in the IT world? I recently had a recruiter tell me that I would have no problem finding a job in the current economy - not because I am enthusastic, well-educated and have good experience - but because I am caucasian - 'white'. This particular recruiter insisted that his years experience has led him to this conclusion - but I wonder: what the collective experience of the Slashdot readership has found?"

Comments

Racism between people of equal skills

[ziggyboy]

I work in a small IT company in Australia. The owner and all of the people running it are white but more than 50% of the employees are not (including me). I suppose my boss believes that he should get the best person for the job.

However I have seen that in many cases, if there are 2 people (one white and an Asian for instance) with the exact same skillset and experience applying for a job, then the white man will most probably get the position. There isn't much racism when the non-caucasian has obviously better skills. This is just from my experience that's why I suppose us "minorities" are somewhat forced to work harder, get more qualifications, get better grades than the white masses. We can't compete with them on the same level so we have to do more.

40 years--where are we?

[Inside_Joke]

I'll tell you where--we're no further along the road to equal rights than we were when King marched. The only difference now versus then is there are no colored entrances.

Racism still abounds--both in America and around the world. People are still paranoid, xenophobic, prejudiced, racist fucks that all deserve to be shot.

The fact...

[mtrupe]

The simple fact is that white men don't sue based on racism or sexism when let go or fired. There is that risk with minorities and women, regardless of how large or small. I've seen it happen several times now... You look and think, "Why did they keep that guy? He has no skills..." You know why? Fear of lawsuits.

I'm sorry to say it, and someone will accuse me of racism. Still, I remember a very good black friend of mine flat out telling me that the only reason I was laid off and he was kept was because he was black. He knew as well as I did. And he wouldn't have sued for being laid off, but so it goes...

White men need not apply

[Nonesuch]

sdedeo stated:

I am not saying that -- on rare occasion -- a qualified white applicant loses to a qualified minority applicant.

I am saying that, on many occasions, employers specifically set out to hire a minority, refusing to consider any white applicants at all. When I was looking for jobs in the early 1990's, I saw a number of posted positions which explicitly stated that only minority applicants would be considered; no white males need apply.

Looking for discrimination against white men?
Check out how universities recruit and promote tenure track professors. You can be the most qualified and experienced chemist in the world, but no matter how many doctorates you have, if you are a white male good luck finding a position as an Associate Professor anywhere in the USA. Usually the second paragraph of every posting will read "Minorities and women are encouraged to apply.".

Meanwhile, I'm sure you would not recognize the hiring of a white applicant over a black one as racism, even when it was. You would explain it as the white guy having connections, being a friend of the boss, having an in with the interviewer because they grew up in the same town or went to the same college. You are incorrect to do so.

When I ran my own business, I hired people I could trust -- friends of the boss, people I went to college with, people with connections -- of whatever color or gender. So tell me again why I am incorrect to explain my own actions?

Yeah, I know it's tense to talk about race, but the next time you're with a black friend having a beer, ask him what he thinks about the level of racism in American society, and the level he personally experiences as a white collar worker.

And some people see racism where there isn't any.
There was a guy who I worked with who was fired, when I talked to him later he ranted on and on about the only reason he lost his job was because he was of mixed race, because his grandmother was Haitian.

The truth was everybody from the CEO on down thought this dude was a full-blooded Swede, the company fired him because he came to work stoned (when he bothered showing up at all).

Re:Back Of The Bus With You

[mtrupe]

Who's doing the favoring? Don't say "you're." I've never participated in any of it. And last I checked, students, regardless of race, decide their own college majors. Am I wrong?

Also, you're the one who resorted to name calling...

Re:Yes

[ars]

And what happens if every single person who was the best for the job was white, or asian, or some other homogeneous mix?

You'll get complaints that you are a racist company, and then they'll force hiring you to hire some other-race person, even if it's not the best person for the job. That's what will happen.

So I don't buy your argument, in theory it just might be true, but in the real world preception is everything - you might want be a very non-racist company and hire the best persons, but in the real world that just won't happen - they'll force you to hire worse people just so that you'll look less racist.

SF

[chord.wav]

Some time ago, while I was visiting a friend in SF, we were talking in spanish between us when another co-worker came in told us: Hey! You are in "America", speak in english!
Note that he wasn't there when we were talking, we weren't lefting him out of it.

Guess, some people forget that they live in San Francisco and some time ago spanish was the main language in that city, same with Los Angeles, etc.