Are You Letting an “Ism” Hold You Back?
I often get the question from either those I meet, or those who are entering job search transition, “Is there ageism in the hiring process?” The answer to that question is “Yes there is.” The answer is not meant to discourage those in job search. Yes, technically, age discrimination in the hiring process is against the law, It is legislated in some cities or states in terms of the questions that hiring companies can and cannot ask on their applications or in interviews. But, for me to say to job searchers that their age would not be a factor at all to some hiring companies, would be a lie on my part.
However, ageism is not the only “ism” that exists in the hiring process. There can be bias held by companies in terms of gender, in terms of lack of experience in their industry, in terms of education based on where you graduated, etc. In fact, bias can exist in terms of any hiring manager or company. Even the “ageism” bias has a reverse tendency. Often younger people, first entering the job market may come up against bias if a company feels they don’t want to train new hires and want someone with at least some experience in their profession or the job role.
So, does that mean if someone holds a bias against you, that you are doomed in your search with that company? Certainly, if you take the mindset that you will never overcome their biased mindset, you are most likely not going to get very far with that potential employer. However, that is distracting you from your main focus of any job search and hiring situation.
You the job searcher, even if demographically check off all the boxes in terms of what the hiring company is looking for, still must make a connection with that company. A connection involves making the case to them that you are the right “fit” for the role they have.
Being a right fit means among other things:
• You understand the challenges and demands of the role.
• You will interact well with both internal business partners and external customers
• That your focus will not be about what is best for you but what is best for the company for whom you are employed
The astute job searcher looks to make that case. They do so, by being engaged in all interviews with the company. There is interest shown not only in explaining what they have done in the past, but in learning about the challenges the company has. It is seeing the job role from the perspective of each person that may interview with them. An HR person for example is likely looking at you in terms of as an employee for the company on the whole. Do you appear to fit into their culture? The hiring manager is looking for someone who keeps the basic duties of the job off their plate. Someone from another department, who is part of the interview process, will be looking at the candidate from the perspective of how well they will be a partner to meeting their needs. A higher level executive, not involved in the day to day, may look at the candidate as a representative to their department and function, and how they will be seen in the eyes of their peers at those higher levels in other departments.
Writing yourself as a candidate to be hired because of an “ism” that you believe is being used against you, is doing yourself a disservice. The “ism” on your mind is likely to sap your energy, put you on your guard, and take your focus away from the job you are interviewing for itself. In effect, you have taken yourself out of the running before the process has already started.
So, yes be aware there are bias against most any candidate in any job interview situation. Your job is to overcome those biases. The best way to do that is concentrate on the job, its responsibilities, showing examples of how you have met those responsibilities in the past, and how you see yourself doing so if you are in this new role. And, if you are not selected for the role, at least you know you have left everything you have out on the table. Additionally, it will prepare you to connect for that role which comes available to you in the future, and for which the hiring company sees you as “the best match.”
