Voices - Professional
Minimising my contribution...
It's the constant battle with senior management to get the recognition you deserve. If I was white, I'd be taken at face value - being non-white, I feel we have to keep jumping through more and more hurdles whilst the white colleague who does less, progresses quicker. They call it networking, I call it favouritism. How can you get a seat at the table when noone is inviting you in? It's that minimisation of our contributions which causes a lot of stress and anxiety. They say not to compare but when the white favourites get pushed forward when doing less, it's hard not to. They think we don't notice, we do.
Stereotyped a drug user based on colour of my skin
I was in the final stages of the recruitment process for a job role overseas and my old manager had gladly agreed to be a referee. However they were in disbelief that the company had asked them if I was a drug user as part of their referee questions due to the colour of my skin. This manager was so upset for me and had asked if I really wanted a job with a company that had those kind of values. We both laughed at the questioning and ignorance but they were concerned. I took the job as I had just moved to the country and it was a good role. I later learned that I was paid less than the white people doing the same role and with similar experience. I was generally treated quite badly which other colleagues noticed and ended up leaving. Another employee from an ethnic background had experienced similar questions during the recruitment process too so this was the culture of the organisation - racist.
Labelled a bragger...
When you see white colleagues blatantly lie about their achievements (or lack of) and it's branded by management as selling / marketing themselves, yet as a brown / black person talking about the work have delivered, you get labelled a bragger or are questioned on how you achieved that with minimal support. The undertones of 'keeping them down' are still well and strong within the work place. I've seen black and brown colleagues (myself included) consistently overachieve again and again, yet the self promoting white colleague always being 'recognised' as a leader...
Engineered a way to move me on...
I worked in a male orientated industry and was the only minority ethnic as well as female employee in my department. After asking my colleague a number of times to stop using racist language, I finally snapped and complained to HR. His comments included terms like ‘paki’ and ‘slitty eyed Chinese man’. I was called by the MD and assured that it would be dealt with seriously as he would not tolerate any racism. I received a phone call from my colleague apologising if he had ‘upset me’ however he never apologised for the things that were said. The colleague left not long after but the attitude towards me from the MD changed and suffice to say when I complained about being bullied 2 years later, I was subsequently fired after they found ‘issues’ with my work although up to the point of my complaining, I had always been told that I was an over-achiever, excelled at Sales targets and my performance reports were excellent. I personally think they didn’t like me bringing up issues that were happening and so engineered a way to move me on.
Are you going to cry?
I worked as a Consultant for a few years at a Consultancy where there were barely any female senior managers. My male managers seemed to think I was technical enough and refused to grade me on the same framework they used for people doing similar roles to me, but had a different background. I became frustrated and left, and I'm glad I did. I wish I didn't have to do so, but ultimately it was better for my career to not hear "Are you going to cry?" if I asked my male manager for a 1:1, or comments like "you don't like getting on your knees?" if I didn't bend down to pick up a pen.
Where did you do your A-Levels?
I did my MEng Degree in Civil Engineering here in the UK and I worked in the industry as a structural engineer for 6 years - Yet I have always been asked where I did my A-levels. I wonder why they wanted to know about my A-levels after 6 years of experience in the industry. After all, I wasn't applying for a graduate position. It seems to me they just wanted to find out where I came from, hence, I am considering changing my surname. Yeah - a kind of my everyday life
You do realise you're not black don't you?
I'm white but I'd like to share some of my recent experiences. My son is half English half Ghanaian. I have a deep love for black culture and am passionately anti-racist. I have many experiences of being ridiculed for my taste in black music and black men. I have been asked "you do realise you're not black don't you", I've had a former managing director look at a photo of my mixed race son and look at my in a pitying way and ask "why did you do that". I've been told I shouldn't go to Pilates because it's a "white persons sport". When I challenged this person and told them they were being racist they said "how dare you call me racist". These are all workplace experiences and I'm white. I cannot start to imagine what it is like to be a black person in this climate and I am so so sorry for what white people have done.
A hidden voice in the city of London
Every black person has a story. Some of us speak privately as we cannot take the vitriol if we publish publicly...here's part of my story: I began my financial services career in the city of London in 1995. I lasted 3 months. On day 1 - resumption day, when I got to the workplace, the receptionist thought I was the security man resuming duty. By week 2, deciding to get into the office early I was mistaken for a cleaner when someone brought over their bin and asked if I could go empty it, even though I had on a crisp white shirt and tie. On week 4 at the weekly team meeting, someone asked if I could go get some cups of coffee for others and when I asked 'why?', "is that not why you're in the meeting?" was the response. I do not know how I lasted the 3 months...it was relentless.
After 2.5 months on the dole and no jobs forthcoming I went temping. In this new role after 8 months with a great team, about 8 of us - 6 white, one asian and me, doing fund accounting we went out one evening to a pub in Bishopsgate (next to the Bishopsgate police station). I was the only black guy in the pub. All through the evening I had guys walking past with snide comments and a few hands being rubbed over my head (I have a shaven head). My colleagues noticed my discomfort and said the occasional stop to the unruly guys (they would have to walk past us to go to the toilet, and when people are drunk the toilet beckons frequently). To cut the story short just before closing time my head was rubbed again, only this time the guy hovered drunk over me as if he was washing my head. The next thing commotion, shouts, screams, etc. and then the police. I (alone) was taken to the police station in cuffs, spent the night in a cell and charged with GBH the next morning. It was then I found out that someone had smashed a glass on the guys head and he had pointed to me. I got bail till the hearing date. News got to the office, my contract was terminated. For 4 months I was in limbo before the case came up in the magistrates court. No one from my team made contact, no one would turn up as a witness for me in court that I did not do it. They tried to paint that it was my fault for having a bald head. Why was I in the pub at that time? Maybe I was drunk (I do not drink), "people do not go around touching peoples head, maybe I was upset hence why I did it, etc. In the end I was acquitted. During the intervening period I could not even tell family. I felt shame. What If I had done it? What if I had been convicted? I suffered it all in silence.
I went back to temping but during those times it was never easy. Questions like, "where are you originally from?", I shortened my first African name, still they would not pronounce it or would bastardise it deliberately in the name of humour. I started using my dad's English name. My surname was still an issue both with recruitment consultants and wherever I went to work. My qualifications from Nigeria became an issue, so I enrolled for a Masters degree, then another, then got the professional qualifications but it was never enough. At one company there were just 8 of us in the firm. At the end of the year there was a bonus pot of $300,000. Both partners took half the pot. I was a 'senior' member of staff and was expecting something 'good'. In the end I was given $5,000. Even the receptionist got 4 times that. When I queried, I was told to wait till next year. I quit the next day.
I relocated to Nigeria after hitting the glass ceiling too many times with all manner of excuses, had a stellar career in the same field and came back to the UK recently. I thought things had changed in the city of London. We had equal opportunities then, now its BAME and diversity but the systemic undertones and 'keep them under the thumb' are still there. At a recent job, after a meeting on the way out a colleague said "oh, you ask very smart and intelligent questions". What do you say to that other than murmur to yourself, am I meant to ask dumb questions? I was told by the head of HR at another firm that "I do not suffer fools gladly" because I had reprimanded a white subordinate who had taken the day before off to go to Ascot but could not be bothered to call in to the office to say he would not be in (I had been off sick). This had lead to us almost breaching a regulatory time-bound submission.
Whilst things have changed on the surface since I started working in the city from between zero to a handful of black faces in the city to now when there are quite a larger number in both the city and Canary Wharf, representation at the peak are very very few. It's taken years to get to where we are today and I hope things change. I hope this will not die down after a few weeks with some token changes, new inquiries and token implementations.
Thank you for being my voice.
I've got to change my name....
Structural Engineer with 6 years of Experience in Central London currently working on a £20,000,000 project - now hopefully you have an idea in terms of my experience, ability, and responsibility. Guess what my annual salary is £30,000 ( Average salary if you are not black is £36,000 to £40,000) - do your own research. How dare I ask for a pay rise - In fact my last prayer was to get a job and to find decent workmates who are not going to make me feel like an alien. I suppose I forgot to pray for a pay rise - Let's put it this way - It was my fault that I didn't pray for it. I wouldn't have the opportunity to get into certain companies because they have a very good Human Resource depart who are there to screen out your CV based on your name. I know the solution - I got to change my name for an obvious reason. Microaggression is my everyday life, we are best friends because I got used to it. I can't live without you..uuuu ...lala I can't live without microaggression... The list goes on and on....
Can you provide a list of stereotypes please?
Fairly recently I was working for a large media company who were pushing their diversity agenda, I decided to be part of the committee and had to present to the HR leadership on suggested changes to help the agenda. Bearing in mind this is a HR business initiative, the HR Director for UK suggested that we should provide them a list of ‘stereotypes’ they should be aware of so they can make sure they don’t.
The Indian man in technology
... when you happily train your white managers white 'friend' for 2 years due to their lack of computing skills... only for the 'friend' to be given the managers job automatically without you getting the opportunity to even apply for the role. Head of HR was disappointed when I accepted an offer on a new job - what did the firm expect? How could I stay there when the culture of the team was so corrupt? I didn't care about the money... this comes down to how you treat people.
To PA or not to PA - that is the question
Started a new senior role in a prestigious company - only to be told (within days of being there) by my white male peer manager to effectively act as his EA / PA... (I'm of Asian descent). I stood my ground and explained this was not why I was brought in, only to later be branded as "aggressive". A double whammy insult I've gotten used to.
Please review our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use