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Identifying Your Race on Job Applications

Stencil

Stencil

Member
Oct 30, 2017
10,371
USA
Hi Era,

I'm currently unemployed and I've been filling out lots of job applications recently. One thing I get shaky on is how to identify my race, or if I should even bother. I've always wondered if choosing not to will hurt my chances more than choosing to identify, and whether American employers actually care what race you are, but I think that question carries a lot more weight than ever before considering the political climate. As a little background, born in the USA, I'm 1/4th Filipino and the rest European, but I look more filipino than white, so does that mean I should say I'm Pacific Islander, or Caucasian?

When asked if you'd like to identify your race in things like job applications, do you choose to do so, or not? Why? What do you think of this question? For you International-Eras, is this asked in countries outside of the US?
 
Osa15

Osa15

Banned
Nov 13, 2017
661
I always taught about this aswell. I read somewhere that the hiring manager wont even have access to that record. That makes sense as it is illegal for an organization to discriminate based on race and if they do, they will be in a lot of legal trouble. So, i guess it won't matter unless the organization is not diverse. If that is the case, that field will be used to revised their recruitment process.
 
Linkura

Linkura

Member
Oct 25, 2017
19,943
Some companies actively recruit minorities, so putting Pacific Islander in those cases would be to your advantage.
 

Viera

Banned
Dec 13, 2017
255
I read once that companies that emphasize that they're equal opportunity employers actually discriminate against minorities at the same rate, and are more likely to in practice because applicants are lulled into a false sense of security.

Tell them you're white
 
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wenis

wenis

Member
Oct 25, 2017
16,104
my name gives me away and there isn't anyway to really fix that other than changing it.
 
Whitemex

Whitemex

Member
Oct 27, 2017
15,425
Chicago
When I reviewed job applications, race and gender were things not present. So I wouldn't worry so much about it
 
weemadarthur

weemadarthur

Community Resettler
Member
Oct 25, 2017
10,588
I refuse to fill out that page, on principle.

They can't legally make anyone fill it out and it saves me 2 seconds of my own time.
 
Kieli

Kieli

Self-requested ban
Banned
Oct 28, 2017
3,736
Do not put your ethnicity any where on your resume. You can't control the biases that the reviewer may knowingly or unknowingly hold. Also do not put your picture, marital status, DoB, and other stuff on there either...
 
Kazoku_

Kazoku_

Member
Oct 27, 2017
1,398
Yeesh, uh this one's tough to answer.

I usually try not to give it too much thought. But if I find myself wondering what to answer (I'm black) it's usually not a good sign. Because if I have to decline to answer to feel like I have a shot at getting the job, chances are I really don't want to work there in the first place.
 
Heshinsi

Heshinsi

Member
Oct 25, 2017
16,091
Race, the thing where because of the way your phenotype worked out, you can't comfortably place yourself with those your most genetically related to because idiots who don't understand genetics and science would say, "wait you don't look like..."

Asking someone about their ethnicity or race as part of a job interview or job application is forbidden here (Canada). You can not ask for it either directly or indirectly, and you can not ask about things like hair colour, national origin, skin tone, etc.
 
BrucCLea13k87

BrucCLea13k87

Member
Oct 27, 2017
3,945
That's great. Diversity is great right now. It's crap the other way around. In my experience, nonetheless. I've gotten the shank from colleges and jobs because of what I am.
 
MrNewVegas

MrNewVegas

Member
Oct 27, 2017
10,707
What?! I'm confused. I'm in Canada and I have never seen such a thing. Why would you put your race? What reason would an employer need to know that for?

Seems pretty silly to me.
 
Host Samurai

Host Samurai

Member
Oct 27, 2017
12,158
At least it takes less time than the "In 150 characters describe what makes you unique" nonsense. Right after you have a well written and thought out cover letter.
 
ChubbyHuggs

ChubbyHuggs

Member
Oct 27, 2017
2,262
I'm mixed Norwegian/German and half Mexican. My name completely gives that away, so I just put other. Not sure if they even look at it though.
 
danm999

danm999

Member
Oct 29, 2017
17,095
Sydney
Just put your skull measurements on your resume and let the company phrenologist figure it out.

Seriously I guess it totally depends on the company you're applying to? Maybe their website will give you some hints about whether or not they have diversity promotion programs and that it'll give you a leg up?
 
weemadarthur

weemadarthur

Community Resettler
Member
Oct 25, 2017
10,588
MrNewVegas said:
What?! I'm confused. I'm in Canada and I have never seen such a thing. Why would you put your race? What reason would an employer need to know that for?

Seems pretty silly to me.
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In the USA, certain government contracts require the filling out of census forms for diversity purposes, to try to reduce discrimination against marginalized groups.

Many employers include this separate sheet of paper that asks for voluntary info on ethnic background, and I suspect they don't know why they include it, or know how to store it separately, or other legal consequences of asking for the info. They probably downloaded a packet from an office supply store and then trained subsequent employees to photocopy it.
 
Dali

Dali

Member
Oct 27, 2017
6,184
BrucCLea13k87 said:
That's great. Diversity is great right now. It's crap the other way around. In my experience, nonetheless. I've gotten the shank from colleges and jobs because of what I am.
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Yeah diversity is totally in right now. Get while the getting is good. The other way around is kinda like being the weakest apex predator. I mean I'm a fucking great white for God's sake. I shouldn't be losing a meal.
 
Heshinsi

Heshinsi

Member
Oct 25, 2017
16,091
MrNewVegas said:
Gotcha. I would be furious if I saw that on an application. Nothing else for it to be used for other the discrimination.

Edit - Read the above post about census stuff. I still don't trust it.
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Canadian companies also have diversity targets do they not? I wonder how they do that without having prospective employees figure out which column they need to check.
 
BrucCLea13k87

BrucCLea13k87

Member
Oct 27, 2017
3,945
Dali said:
Yeah diversity is totally in right now. Get while the getting is good. The other way around is kinda like being the weakest apex predator. I mean I'm a fucking great white for God's sake. I shouldn't be losing a meal.
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Uh, I don't know how to take this really. I knew I'd risk being considered some MRA asshole by speaking my mind. I'm just saying you should never be ashamed of being a minority. A lot of companies are looking for diversity.
 
RedSwirl

RedSwirl

Member
Oct 25, 2017
10,051
Nope. Having a regular white name means I get to enjoy that split second of shock and awe in the interviewer's face.
 
Hawk

Hawk

Member
Oct 25, 2017
428
It's purely for tax and census purposes, I doubt very much that the hiring manager will even see it.
 
Dali

Dali

Member
Oct 27, 2017
6,184
BrucCLea13k87 said:
Uh, I don't know how to take this really. I knew I'd risk being considered some MRA asshole by speaking my mind. I'm just saying you should never be ashamed of being a minority. A lot of companies are looking for diversity.
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Blaming your shortcomings and failures on diversity is a sure fire way to make you look like a total loser. Describing diversity as a fad is also suspect. But please tell me a story about how you know 100% you'd have gotten that job/raise/college spot if not for that dag gum diversity.

Ps the last sentence was rhetorical. No one will believe you. No one wants to hear it.
 

Deleted member 3815

User requested account closure
Banned
Oct 25, 2017
6,633
Stencil said:
For you International-Eras, is this asked in countries outside of the US?
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UK here and yeah it's asked but only for equal opportunity and personal data usage as it's illegal to discriminate someone on the basis of their gender, sexual orientation, religion, ethnic, disability. (though it does happened as I was denied a job offer dueto me being male).

Personally I just leave them blank or just lie.
 
tintskuecha

tintskuecha

Member
Oct 25, 2017
641
Is there a "mixed race" option? It's annoying to me how overlooked this is. If you're mixed then mark down mixed! Quit lying!
 
Zoe

Zoe

Member
Oct 25, 2017
14,236
Employers ask it on applications for the EEOC. It's a federal thing to protect you against discrimination. You don't have to fill it out, and employers aren't supposed to use the information in hiring you.

How can discrimination be proven if there's no data?
 
gutter_trash

gutter_trash

Banned
Oct 26, 2017
17,124
Montreal
In Canada, when never get asked about race/ ethnicity during the resume, interview process. Only after we get the job do they ask us if we are Indiginous/ First Nations

but I did apply to a place in the US and they sent me a form asking me my ethnicity was, LOL but then realized that's maybe for affirmative action or something.
 
entremet

entremet

You wouldn't toast a NES cartridge
Member
Oct 26, 2017
59,970
Zoe said:
Employers ask it on applications for the EEOC. It's a federal thing to protect you against discrimination. You don't have to fill it out, and employers aren't supposed to use the information in hiring you.

How can discrimination be proven if there's no data?
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Yeah. It's not a recruiting thing. It's a compliance thing.
 
Razgriz417

Razgriz417

Member
Oct 25, 2017
9,105
Work in HR, our job application has an optional section for you to enter ethnicity & gender but its not filled out ~95% of the time. Recruiters go off submitted resumes & cvs to determine if they start a phone interview. Asking someone their ethnicity is in the application process is illegal.
tintskuecha said:
Is there a "mixed race" option? It's annoying to me how overlooked this is. If you're mixed then mark down mixed! Quit lying!
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yes there is a "Two or more races" option.

Only time this becomes an issue is after they are hired and we're doing affirmative action reporting to the DoL and EEOC and they want to know the ethnicity of employees. That's when we ask employees to self report.

To answer OP's question, it's completely optional for you to report your ethnicity and should not affect initial screening but if you want, you could select the "two or more races" option.
 
zychi

zychi

Banned
Oct 28, 2017
4,064
Chicago
Do you fill out the disability section on the application if you have anxiety or depression?

Legally an employer cant know this, but they still ask.

Put in whatever you think will get you the job OP
 
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