After earning my license as an organizational psychologist, I eagerly accepted my first job as a Manager of Impact Evaluation for an NGO helping disadvantaged teens earn their GED.

Fueled by a deep connection to the organization's mission, I traveled across the country to administer surveys in less-than-friendly areas.

As my workload grew, I requested to hire a research assistant. After a meticulous selection process, I found the ideal candidate and presented her to the CEO.

But just five minutes into their conversation, he pulled me aside and declared that I couldn’t hire her because she was not "one of ours."

It took me a moment to comprehend what he meant. When I looked around, I noticed that all the employees were of Middle-Eastern descent, while the candidate was an Ashkenazi Jew—Jews of Central and Eastern European descent.

This revelation hit me like a ton of bricks—until that moment, I had never experienced hiring discrimination firsthand.

I suddenly recalled the CEO's subtle racist jokes about Ashkenazi Jews during team meetings, which I had previously dismissed as quirks.

And the irony, oh the bitter irony, of an NGO CEO, committed to aiding disadvantaged populations, perpetuating the same biases he claimed to fight, just in reverse.

I was too inexperienced and too stunned to challenge him.

The candidate wasn't hired, and I couldn't continue working in such an environment. I resigned, but the experience haunted me.

In retrospect, this pivotal moment shaped my future career choices. It ignited a passion for promoting fairness and eliminating bias in hiring processes.

This experience also serves as a cautionary tale against fighting bias with reversed bias—one of the key reasons why DEI initiatives face backlash today.

P.S. What discrimination stories have you experienced as TA or candidates?

Repost this to raise awareness about hiring discrimination.

♻️ Thank you!

#bias #hiring #informedecisions