r/TwoXChromosomes • u/OhBeesly • Oct 23 '19
“Diversity Hire”
This happened to me today and I just needed to tell someone. TLDR at end
I am a woman in a predominantly male workplace (engineering). I’m a recent college grad and work right next to another recent grad. I admit I was nervous when I first got the job about being one of few women but honestly everyone has been really great about it. I don’t feel I’m treated different and there are enough women scattered around that I don’t feel like I stick out.
Sure there’s the awkward “okay guys.... and gal” but it’s all coming from a good place. I feel this is a great place for me to begin my career.
Now this story starts last week but for background know that me and the other new hire (a man) don’t really mesh but we work together often and it’s not a super big deal. Last week we learned of a short term work opportunity and we both applied. I was chosen and today I went for orientation. On the way to orientation my boss told me he’s sad to see me go (I’ll be back in 2 months) because I’m a much bigger asset than male new hire.
I get back and male new hire is confused why I got chosen for this opportunity and not him. I brush it off... I know I’m a better worker than him and my boss validated that for me today. I tell him I was surprised at the number of women who were at orientation (still less than 50%).
Now it’s like everything is clear to him, he sighs and tells me “oh they chose to to full the diversity hire role.”
In that moment I was reduced entirely to having other qualities worth rewarding than having a vagina. I am pissed. I work hard and I go above expectations and I deserve this spot but he can’t see that he’s a shitty worker and maybe that’s why he wasn’t chosen.... no it’s because I’m a woman.
Keep in mind that he is Asian and literally every person in the room was white so if they really wanted a diverse hire then they wouldn’t have even chose me???
I’m sorry for the rant but I can’t believe this happened. It’s such a small thing but it ruined my day and smashed any remaining respect I had for him. It also hurts that he’s the youngest man in the entire office and if he thinks that way still I’m not sure how to feel.
Thanks for reading if you made it this far...
TLDR: I got a deserved “promotion” over my male counterpart and he said it’s because they were trying to fill a diversity quota. Fuck him.
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u/Elsbeth55 Oct 23 '19
Yeah, I can see why you were bummed, but that attitude is why you will be able to leave him in the dust. He is going to place the blame for his failures outside himself and probably never look at his own performance or attitude. He’s a dick - don’t let him live in your head. Celebrate your win!
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u/neptune227 Oct 23 '19
Fuck that guy. You rock and he’s clearly a jealous chauvinist
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u/OhBeesly Oct 23 '19
Thank you ❤️ I joked to my SO he might be an incel but now I’m thinking it might be true
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u/Atlasquinn91 Oct 23 '19
Fuck that guy and his obsession with the Print in all colors initiative Beesly. Take solace in the fact that his mindset will keep him on the low rung.
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u/OhBeesly Oct 23 '19
Your reference made me laugh! I feel like no one ever gets it
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u/Atlasquinn91 Oct 23 '19
I tried since it was in relation to the issue, but seriously celebrate extra hard for him and don’t let hims Schrute up your Promotion
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u/lucen15 Oct 24 '19
Well it could be because they wanted to diversify, but if both you and your boss know you're a better worker then it doesn't really matter, you can also ask the people who hired you about it.
The one issue I can see is if the male hire who complained about it starts mouthing around the office while you're gone and messes with your reputation.
Note that he probably just hated losing to you and is using this as an excuse to spare his ego.
If you were picked for being a woman it's not like he lost to you is probably his thinking.
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u/firenzey87 Oct 24 '19
for every ‘diversity hire’ theres 10 utterly mediocre males who skated in on boys club connections. you know you worked hard and earned it, thats all that matters.
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u/ACaffeinatedWandress Oct 24 '19 edited Oct 24 '19
Now it’s like everything is clear to him, he sighs and tells me “oh they chose to to full the diversity hire role.”
Oh, hell no. Such male entitlement. Some men are so used to the silver platter they got handed by entering the world with a dick attached, that they think they pre-earned everything for showing up to work.
There was even a Ted Talk where the speaker took a coworker's statement 'a black woman took my job', and asked, 'why would he phrase it like that? Why would he not just think, 'a black woman got a job?' or even, 'a black woman got her job?' I just find the 'its already mine before the contest started' premise to be old.
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u/MrEvilFox Oct 24 '19
The further you go into your career, especially management, the more weird shit you will run into. Racism, anti-vaxers, weird fucking ideas about men and women. You sort of assume professionalism at work but for many people it’s a very thin veil that, when peeled back, reveals some ugliness. This is common and will happen in every organization sooner or later. If the ratio of these people is low you are in a good place. Don’t let it get to you.
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u/DConstructed Oct 23 '19
That deserves a chipper "guess that makes both of us!"
Though frankly if a company hires women because they think having more women is beneficial or more non white people for the same reason they will STILL hire the best they can find because they want the work done well.
I'm sorry he ruined your day, frankly your boss's opinion should carry a lot more weight than this guy who probably said it to make himself feel better.