How do you handle a manager like Doug?
I met with the Financial Controller Doug last week, who needs to employ a new Assistant Accountant. He breached about 20 grounds in the Human Rights Act as we talked, but instead of yelling at him I decided I could win him around with my great persuasion skills
“First I want someone who has been doing the same type of role for at least two years,” Doug said.
“Why would they want this job if they’ve already done it for two years in another company?” I asked sweetly.
Doug shrugged.
“Well their company might have downsized in the recession so they need to move or they just want a change.”
“But wouldn’t it be a better opportunity for someone who wants to step up their responsibility?”
Doug reached over and patted my hand, patronisingly.
“I don’t want some young upstart who’s going to get pregnant at the drop of a hat. They need to be middle aged so that they’ll stick around for a while.”
I gritted my teeth but then he went on.
“And they need good English so I don’t want any strange ethnicities.”
At that moment I wanted to stand up and yell at him: “You old sexist, racist dinosaur! Get with the programme!”
But I figured that probably wouldn’t win him over. So keeping myself under control I said calmly, “Okay. Well we’re not allowed to discriminate on family status or ethnicity, but we can check they have good English……”.
“By hiring a New Zealander. Easy.”
Doug stood up.
“I’ll look forward to seeing the CVs of the candidates you shortlist. Shall we meet to go through them next week?”
And he turned and left.
So I went and put an advert on SEEK and got a good number of applications through. I short-listed them on having an accounts qualification and some accounting experience. Of course it turned out that all of the good applicants were from other ethnicities and some were younger women (and a couple of men) wanting to step up.
I decided that Doug must have been joking and so took the CVs along to the meeting. Doug went through them all and put them firmly in the ‘no’ pile.
“We’ll have to keep looking. None of these people meet the criteria I clearly told you,” he said and looked at me long and hard.
I nodded numbly.
But now I’m sitting in my office so angry about it. There is no point keeping recruiting as no-one Doug wants is going to apply and besides which they may not be the best fit anyway. We don’t have any budget for recruitment agencies so I can’t hand it off to them to manage.
Should I go and talk to his manager, the CFO and tell him what’s happened? Should I march in and tell Doug he’s not allowed to discriminate? Trouble is I want to keep him on side because if he hates me, he’s just going to ignore HR all together.
I want to handle this the right way and not look like I’m incompetent. What should I do?
>>> Post your advice as a comment below. In the October issue of the HumanResources magazine we’ll publish the best answers and see what Flora does.
Nice dilemma. I hope for your sake it is fictitious and your actual position is more pleasant than Dinosaur-Land. Perhaps you’ve been inspired by our recent head of the Manufacturers Federation.
I faced a similar dilemma in the 80s and my CEO was the head of Manufacturers Federation at the the time. He gave me a speech about how his company was not ‘about people’ (”people,” he told me should never be featured in the company magazine because “they’d just get big ideas and want a pay rise. Remember Duncan, we are about products, not people.”) It was an unforgettable speech.
What I did then was quit my job. I was not in a role that would influence the CEO’s stance so I felt it was betetr just to vote with my feet.
In the Doug Scenario – but wearing the hat as HR Manager I’d not be so expedient as you. Racism has no place in the workplace, and I’d take issue with Doug by confronting him, and in a strategic or planning meeting with other’s present. I’d challenge him directly by raising the stakes – suggesting a more progressive hiring and HR policy. Do your homework first – get from recruitment agencies and universities a few figures about how many non-Euro Kiwis are graduating (perhaps Doug doesn’t even know that amongst younger NZers, close to 50% are non-white) and that if we take away females as well, then he’s missing out on 75% of the talent pool.
By raising the issue in a wider business context, in front of other managers, then Doug has got a choice – proceed as a pig-headed bigot, or gracefully back down. And if he decides to proceed, then I’d resign and be pretty open about the reasons. Having made your views open, then others would know the reason for your resignation also.
Does a CEO have the right to be a bigot? No, not actually. But given that some CEOs might live in that world, then I’d let their company proceed in their own image. In the USA the grand newspaper, the Chicago Tribune, largely foundered not on the threat through the internet, but on the poisonous, sexist culture of their CEO. Give Doug the choice to make progress – and if he doesn’t take it, and wilfully doesn’t take it, then let him stew in his own juice. I would waste no further energy on the man.
Hi Duncan,
Many thanks for your comments.
Unfortunately this is happening in 2011! No it’s not right to be racist or sexist – but it’s still happening – look at the outcry about Alisdair Thompson’s comments.
I take on board your comments to do some research to present to Doug and perhaps raise this with other managers there. Certainly raising this with him personally I can see he just thinks I’m some young woman who he doesn’t have to listen to – and he just switches off. I’ll let you know how raising it with other managers there goes…..
Flora.
First from the HR Journal Article you have a “Head of HR” you need to have her support.
You state that you shortlisted on Qualifications and Experience, were these detailed in the Job description? If so you have a sound basis to challenge Doug on the breaches that he is endeavouring to make. He or his Manager must have agreed to the JD and /or Person Spec and if you shortlisting is against this then they at least have to consider your listing. I.E. depersonalise the first stage of shortlisting, the personal mix needs to come into play at interview when the employer can see how s/he will relate to the applicants.
Even though Chris leaves you to your own devices she does need to take a role in supporting you as, as head of HR, she is ultimately responsible for protecting the organisation against any Human Rights claims and as the Training Maanger it appears that Human Rights training may be needed in at least one area of the business.
You have not defined how your selection processes work. Are these one on one i.e. Doug plus the applicant or a panel process?
If a panel process then each of the Panel members need input into the shortlisting this could be an opportunity to have Doug’s manager involved.(get his shortlist and Doug then needs to defend his decision to his Manager as well as HR.
What is Dougs proportion of the recruiting budget like? You may have to show him how readvertising is going to hit his bottom line and this could influence him in at least interviewing before going back to the market. Ensure that the interviews focus on analysing the applicants against the KPIs of the role (Critical Factor Analysis)to pull him away from his blinkered opinions.
Dougs attitude is a festering boil that needs to be lanced so ensure that the risks of his attitude and behaviour are known to others. Chris at least should have a without prejudice discussion with his manager.
Hi Les,
Many thanks for your suggestions. For the first interview stage Doug selects the candidates himself. But taking your comments on board I think I will suggest to his manager (through Chris) that perhaps it should be a panel to make sure it’s a fair process.
I will raise with our training manager that Human Rights Act training might be useful!
I’ll let you know how it goes…
Flora
Hi Flora
You have a tricky problem there. The Financial Controller clearly is out of tune with the times – but is your organisation culture the same? In which case, the confrontational approach – might not be the best one to take – I believe it would be better to take Doug with you on a journey where you are able to break down some of the barriers that he has imposed on the process.
Also spare a thought to future of the candidate you hire – if they do not have the manager’s buy-in – it can be a miserable employment experience.
To get the buy-in, it might be useful to analyse Doug’s managerial record – has he lost a lot of people because of his attitude? In particular, delve into his concerns about losing staff to pregnancy or having to deal with different ethnicities. Is this from past experience?
You could ultimately try and break down his prejudice – by demonstrating using other examples within the company where clearly people in his ‘no’ list have demonstrated good value. Has anything gone on his record with regards to poor management – you could present this as an opportunity for him to put his best foot forward.
I think it is worthwhile investigating the cause of the concerns rather and you might get somewhere. It is equally likely that Doug is prejudiced and not capable of a balanced decision to manage potential risks in favour of the organisation’s well being – in which case, you would be on good grounds to point this out to the CEO (go as high as you can) and protect the company’s interest. If you get no joy – perhaps – as others have suggested, its time to change the company.
Hi Kavita,
Thankfully it’s not the whole company – just Doug being prejudiced. I am worried about also ensuring that whoever is appointed does have a good working relationship with Doug – but we have some good examples of employees from many different backgrounds, ages and genders who are doing a great job. I will talk to Doug about some of those and see if I can start him on a journey to enlightenment!!
Thank you for your comments, Flora.
Stay focussed on the company’s agenda rather than Doug’s (or your own). Use situational (not personal)interventions from here. Turn the focus onto (an agreed) competency matrix. Viz- A person specification of “Must-Have’s”(essential)and “Nice-to-have’s” (desirable) competencies in 3 categories:
1.qualifications & experience(together),2.attitudes/behavioural traits( needed to fulfil the position outcomes) and 3.skills(process specific, written & oral communication skills and/ or knowledge/training in the use of ‘technical’ tools)
Don’t allow discriminatory actions/preferences or predictive (guesswork) to dominate best selection. Instead, look for “evidence” of the competencies and actual performance & behaviour. I’d also recommend searching for ‘passive’ candidates who could meet your brief, rather than rely only on the much less effective screening in /out of ‘active’ job seekers. Apart from the prospect of an appointee being managed by the quintessential Doug, there may well be plus-points of differentation in your Company that candidates could align with, intrinsically!
If Doug demurs, kick the issues ‘upstairs’, so to speak. His attitude seems discordant rather than harmoious with sound business practice.
Hi Carl,
Yes you’re right. Doug’s personality type is also quite detailed focussed (being an accountant I guess that goes without saying!) so I hadn’t thought of reinforcing the selection criteria with him and making him work through that – and steering away from discussions about anything else.
Will let you know how it goes!
Flora.
Any progress or sequel Flora?
regards
Carl