Saturday, August 18, 2007

Token Insult by Clarke O'Gara



‘Within 5% either way we’re looking for it to be representational as per government employment regulation 2017.’
(p.219, Internal Recruitment Proposal)

‘Please Check Appropriate Box [This Survey will not be used in the selection process]:

White British
White Other

Asian British
Asian Other

Afro-Caribbean British
Afro-Caribbean Other

Other [Please State]
Rather Not State’
(p.8, Assessment Centre Equal Opportunities Survey)

‘…but what they don’t know is that under the 1988 Data Protection Act and the updated 2013 Data Protection act all data recorded on an interviewee can be requested by the interviewee and must not be adjusted. This covers everything from notes written on the back envelopes to recordings of phone interviews…’
(Use the Law against the Law, Andre Everyman, 2016)

‘She isn’t the strongest candidate but she is the IDEAL candidate. Considering that we are struggling to hit representational quotas, it is worth noting she is female, black and partially deaf…’
(Internal HR Memo)

‘…yet when an ideal candidate does learn why she [it is invariably a she] was selected on her race, gender or disability it can often become more demeaning than rejection on those terms.’
(The New Racism, Graham Sullivan, 2014)

***This piece really asks the reader to make up his or her own mind about quotas. It is worth noting that only the title gives a clue as to the author's point of view here. It is also worth noting that this blog entry is circa 2007 and these are fabricated quotations.

We are not sure whether to be heartened, threatened, offended, or otherwise. Perhaps this is one of the marks of a very thoughtful piece.***

4 comments:

Dragon said...

"I didn't see that coming," she said.

"None of us did," he said, rubbing the fogged up windshield with a soggy scrap of newspaper. "Tell you what, honey, when we get to Ypsilanti, first thing we'll get the defroster fixed."

She nodded, but her mind sang like a chorus: You should have done it in Chicago.

Anonymous said...

Token Insult

‘Within 5% either way we’re looking for it to be representational as per government employment regulation 2017.’
(p.219, Internal Recruitment Proposal)

‘Please Check Appropriate Box [This Survey will not be used in the selection process]:
White British
White Other

Asian British
Asian Other

Afro-Caribbean British
Afro-Caribbean Other

Other [Please State]
Rather Not State’
(p.8, Assessment Centre Equal Opportunities Survey)

‘…but what they don’t know is that under the 1988 Data Protection Act and the updated 2013 Data Protection act all data recorded on an interviewee can be requested by the interviewee and must not be adjusted. This covers everything from notes written on the back envelopes to recordings of phone interviews…’
(Use the Law against the Law, Andre Everyman, 2016)

‘She isn’t the strongest candidate but she is the IDEAL candidate. Considering that we are struggling to hit representational quotas, it is worth noting she is female, black and partially deaf…’
(Internal HR Memo)

‘…yet when an ideal candidate does learn why she [it is invariably a she] was selected on her race, gender or disability it can often become more demeaning than rejection on those terms.’
(The New Racism, Graham Sullivan, 2014)

Anonymous said...

"Oh, my Lord. He's going to tell them."

Anonymous said...

"Don't" she almost managed to get it out but, it was too late.