(1 bookmark) Scenario: A Tale of Discrimination Complaints atPromotion Interviews After interviewing employees from your projectteam for a new Deputy Project Manager on your side. After reviewingthe job description, you interviewed three candidates that arealready a part of the company. You realized that they are alltalented employees with great personalities. As you reflect on theresumes, interviews, and professional references from their currentsupervisors, you consider their characters. First, there isFrancisco Torre. He is very athletic and a bit of an internationalsports fan. You learn in the interview that he won an athleticscholarship and came from Puerto Rico to college on US Mainland. Hewas proud to let you know his college baseball team went to thenational championship for their conference. His managers andcoworkers describe him as one of the most helpful people they haveever worked with on any team. He is always willing to help membersof his team. He is a patient and thoughtful mentor and coach tothose he supervises. His professionalism and resume demonstrate hisaccomplishments, and in the interview, he humbly spoke about thingsthat his managers expressed as phenomenal and heroic. However, heis a self-admitted introvert, but that did not come across in theinterview. His supervisor spoke of as a natural born leader.Francisco was someone that motivated the team to preserve andstrive to achieve excellence. He inspired his team to win “ProjectTeam of the Year” for the past three years. Francisco waswell-spoken, articulate, and had a smug sense of humor. You feel hewill be great at tracking the details of the project and would be agreat leader, counselor, and advisor to help you build ahighperforming team. Next, you interviewed Shereen Rostami. Yourfirst impression is that she is Hilarious! She has a quick,intelligent wit and a great sense of humor. She is assertive,ambitious gogetter. When 2 Written by John H. Coleman, Ph.D.,Adjunct Professor at Virginia International University (VIU)leading the diverse project team you were planning to build.Finally, you interviewed Rashad Ahmed. Your first impression wasthat this gentleman was an immensely likable human being. Duringthe interview, you learn that Rashad was the valedictorian at hiscollege commencement while serving as Student President. He has avery smooth and polished persona. He always seems to have the rightanswer for every question. His supervisor describes him as anexcellent communicator. His business presentations often left theaudience feeling positive and hopeful about his projects. Rashad’steammates told stories of how he was a prankster. He oftenplayfully teased people to make them smile and feel better. Theconsensus was that he was a very charismatic leader and destinedfor great things. Rashad’s managerial talent appeared to be inrelationship building and stakeholder management. His customersrequested him by name to manage any projects we performed for them.He always seemed to attract the best talent in the company becauseeveryone wanted to work for him. After the interview, you were soimpressed you felt that one day, you would gladly be working forthis guy. You realized that having Rashad as your Deputy ProjectManager would help win new business because he brings top talentthat delivered results that increased your customers’ loyalty tothe company. As you leave your office, Sharlene, the HumanResources manager ask you if you have decided. You tell her, “yes,”but you want to think about your decision over the weekend beforeyou would give her you’re an answer. She reminded you of theoffice’s family appreciation cook-out tomorrow, and you told heryou would attend. The Family Appreciation Cookout When you arriveat the cookout, you realize that all the candidates are there withtheir family and friends. As you are in line at the stand fordrinks, you overhear a European-American woman telling a friendabout a how proud she is of her husband overcoming a harsh life inthe urban south. She was expressing how well he has done in lifedespite his experience in gangs and juvenile prison. As you listen,Rashad comes over and greets you and introduces the woman in frontof you as his wife and his three biracial children in followinghim. His wife welcomes you with a stunned and embarrassed look.Feeling a bit embarrassed yourself, you get your drink and go to asemi-private place in the park. As you are sitting there one ofyour peer-managers comes over to talk to you. Moreover, he decidesto share some gossip with you. He tells you, “I hear you areconsidering Shereen for your DPM position.” Then he tells you, “youknow she is the one that got our boss fired. She claimed hesexually attacked her in his office. She filed a lawsuit againstthe company and the guy is facing criminal charges.” If that wasnot enough, he goes to tell you that she is single, a party girl,and has dated four men and a one woman in the company in the pastfive years. As he leaves a slightly inebriated woman comes over andintroduces herself as Shereen’s best friend and unwittinglyconfirms what you just heard. Her friend goes on to tell you thatthey met in Iran when their parents worked at a US oil company. Askids, their Christian families and as friends of US businesspeople, they had to escape in the middle of the night to 3 Writtenby John H. Coleman, Ph.D., Adjunct Professor at VirginiaInternational University (VIU) avoid persecution or execution. Theyhave been in the US since age four where they applied and receivedpolitical asylum. As you decide to leave before this gets any moreuncomfortable, an Asian man introduces himself as Mr. Torres’husband. He wanted to thank you for considering Francisco for thenew opportunity. He was making a case for how Francisco was a greathuman being. He pointed out their two kids. Fransico’s spouse tolda love story of how Francisco moved to be with him in hishome-state so they could get married. He was disappointed when theymoved back to a southern state that did not recognize thegay-lesbian marriage. They only took the position because thecompany offered benefits for “significant life partners.” Franciscocame over to greet you and asked his spouse to return to the party.Francisco politely questions you about your thoughts of his spouse.Then he asked that you would not let this information negativelyinfluence your decision for the promotion. Your Chosen Candidateis…? When you return to work on Monday, the HR Manager is there togreet you. She questions, “what happened at the cookout?” She goeson to inform you, that all three candidates have come to her officeto suggest that if you do not, hire them; then, they will considerfiling an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) discrimination claim.She tells you, Francisco fears he will be forced to file a suit forLGBT discrimination suit with EEO, the state, and anyone that willtake his case. He’s terrified that he moved his family to thisstate and had limited employment options to provide for his growingfamily. He is frustrated because this is the 4th promotion he wasdenied at this company. Shereen told her that she knows she haslittle rights in this state for LGBT discrimination, but she willfile an EEO complaint about sex discrimination and retribution forher previous sexual harassment complaint. Finally, Rashad feelsthat now that you know his past, that it will negatively influenceyour decision. Rashad explicitly noted that we have only threeother African American Project Managers out of the 136 projectmanagers on staff. Moreover, none of them are Project Directors.She asks you, “What is your decision?” Justify Your Decision Youshare your decision with the Charlene the HR Manager. She tells youto spend the rest of the day doing three things . 1. Complete theInterview evaluation sheets stating your ratings. 2. Write an IssueResolution Report to document in preparation for the pendingcomplaints. 3. Call the those that were not selected first, thencall your chosen candidate and congratulate them before the day isover. As you ponder these tasks, you wonder how something thatstarted out so fulfilling could become so negative. The Task atHand As you begin to write your Issue Resolution Report, considerthe following: 1. What have the aggrieved employees felt andexperienced that causes them to respond with a formal EEO claim? 2.What are the facts in your decision? Why did you choose thecandidate you selected? Justify with facts. 3. What can you do tohelp resolve the situation? What can you offer the candidates notselected, to address their concerns? 4. Search your heart and mindand determine if you do have any biases that may influence yourdecision . 5. What is your plan of action? What steps will yourecommend to resolve the issue and minimize the impacts? 6.Finally, consider any relevant laws or legal cases you canreference