Current Events > Interviewing pro-tip: when asked about diversity, equity, and inclusion

(+) Yeah! (+)

Do not use your appreciation as ethnic food as how you will help build an inclusive environment,

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All farts smell the same? Good point, but irrelevant. Thanks for the tip.

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Did you, as a prospective employee, ask your interviewer about diversity and inclusion?

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Fortunately never been asked about that. There's no right answer

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No Im hiring manager and we have a question on DEI. In the last month Ive heard 3candidates out of ~25 bring up ethnic food when discussing DEI. Its a bad answer.

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How do you even frame that question?

"How do you feel about diversity and inclusion in the workplace?"
"I don't see what's so important about it."
"...you're not hired."

KILBOTz posted...

No Im hiring manager and we have a question on DEI. In the last month Ive heard 3candidates out of ~25 bring up ethnic food when discussing DEI. Its a bad answer.

To be fair, its a bad question.
How did you foster an inclusive work environment with respect to diversity?
Uh, I wasnt a dick to my minority coworkers?

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The agency is a strong advocate for DEI. How would you embrace the concept of DEI in your work?

something like that. We work in contracting so a good answer is not just getting large business feedback but getting input from small diverse companies as well, considering changing awards, e.g. by county instead of the entire state.

most answers come back with its all about listening and elevating voices and amplifying unheard voices. Thats a meh answer but it wont hurt you.

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What answer do you want to hear, TC? Is it different from the answer you would give?

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FortuneCookie posted...

How do you even frame that question?

"How do you feel about diversity and inclusion in the workplace?

42

Interviewer - What?

A movie told me that was the answer to life the universe and everything, so this question being part of everything the answer is obviously 42.

Interviewer - When can you start?

You already know my answer to that.


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MedeaLysistrata posted...

What answer do you want to hear, TC? Is it different from the answer you would give?

Curious about this as well

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Ah so just bring up Jackie Robinson and you're good

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BilalPowell posted...

Ah so just bring up Jackie Robinson and you're good

"Chadwick Boseman was a great loss. I really miss him."

Just say that you've been taking steps to educate yourself and hope they don't call you on your bullshit lol.

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Pro tip: Get high.

https://youtu.be/tsxh9tZKsas

I would say something to the effect of: people of different backgrounds bring different perspectives and experiences that can help us fulfill our mission (or something similar, it would need to be adapted to what the actual question and job is).

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BilalPowell posted...

Fortunately never been asked about that. There's no right answer

This, say you're for it, they think you're a SJW libcuck or something
Say you're against it, they think you're a racist alt right skinhead

It's a no win, it's a trap, the only winning move is to say you don't really know what it means because the definition is different to many people. It's a BS non answer but worded in a way that you come off as empathic enough for them to look at you favorably

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fwiw, i will now start saying that i will adopt the company policy toward inclusion and strive to be a good example of it

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Are you saying there's something wrong with Taco Tuesday? Sounds like a place I want no part in.
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Mistere Man posted...

42

Interviewer - What?

A movie told me that

Throw their ass out
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Cornmuffins posted...

Throw their ass out

Yeah I didnt get to enjoy the novels sadly.

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"Lady, I just want to vacuum floors n wipe stuff. Do you want a kleaner, or do you want PR advice?"

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Inclusion is great thats why I try to hire at least one from every background. My department is like the United Nations except we actually get shit done.

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What would the best answer be? @KILBOTz

And what happens to the people who answered food? Are they immediately not picked for the job? What if you had a wonderful dream candidate but they answered food?

What if a POC answers food? Any difference or it doesn't depend on race?

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Don't sing Shortnin Bread. Got it.

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I feel that its lazy and ineffective to hate someone because of race or gender.

You can aways find such better reasons to dislike someone if you just spend the time getting to know them.

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Houston posted...

What would the best answer be? @KILBOTz

And what happens to the people who answered food? Are they immediately not picked for the job? What if you had a wonderful dream candidate but they answered food?

So we are required by the agency to ask the question. How much it matters to each interviewer varies. Some of the interviewers put 0 importance on this question, to them they would still be willing to hire someone with a bad answer.

Most of the panel put at least some importance on the question, since we are told it is an agency goal, so unless it was a great interview otherwise, they probably wouldn't get it. So in the case of an absolute dream candidate other than answering food, I think 4/5 of the hiring managers would have still hired. 1 wouldn't, this question was really important to them.

Most candidates are varying degrees of ok to good. Dream candidates at the state are super rare because we don't pay jack shit. Feds pay like 30% more than us.

So the actual question this time was:

How would you advocate for diversity, equity and inclusion with colleagues who don't understand the importance? How do you work with others to create or foster diversity in the work place?

There's a bunch of ways people have taken this. Most common way that leads to an ok answer:

I would spend a lot of time listening and asking questions and being curious. I would try to find out why they don't understand the value of DEI. If they haven't been exposed to the facts, I will share the facts with them. There have been countless studies in the past decade regarding the value of diversity that become pretty convincing with 10 minutes on Google. Most commonly though I think people don't understand the value of DEI because they are afraid of being displaced. If that is the case I would try to explain to them that diversity doesn't mean silencing any voices, it just means helping to give a voice to those who previously didn't have one.

So how do I work with others to foster a diverse work place? Again, I think it goes back to asking a lot of questions and listening to what others have to say. I would also actively seek out hearing from those I normally don't hear from. This also means practicing anti-racist behavior. If I hear something racism or discrimination it is my job to speak up actively against that behavior and be part of the solution.

What if a POC answers food? Any difference or it doesn't depend on race?

No difference.

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Would it be bad to mention having a thing for Asian women

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Do you only ask your white applicants that

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FL81 posted...

Would it be bad to mention having a thing for Asian women

Yes.

Ivynn posted...

Do you only ask your white applicants that

No.

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Houston posted...

What if a POC answers food? Any difference or it doesn't depend on race?

*Looks at poster's name*

Ah I see