This story was written in 1998.
The boss recently returned from an overseas trip to consummate a deal he had been working on for over two years. When he left there were high expectations from everyone in the company that the trip would be a success and everyone would be able to enjoy the fruits of the increased workload. When he returned, we were shocked to hear that the trip was a failure and, even more shocked when the talk of closing our little home during the day turned to be prophetic.
The last week, he and I talked about the future of the company and it was not good. Our industry has fallen victim to over capacity, negative margins and adding to it a seasonal slump proves to be the cocktail that is to be the final nail in the coffin of a once promising enterprise.
When I joined the company, there was an immediate feeling of welcome and high expectations. The industry was riding a high, margins were more than fair and it appeared as though the sky would be the limit. The money was flowing and the business expanded into areas never before expected. In fact we would joke about how much opportunity existed in the industry and how we could open up satellite operations around the city and in a short period of time turn them into stand alone divisions.
Things were good.
Before the rumblings started that there might be a pink slip in our future, I have to admit I started to spend more time on Sunday with the classified section than normal. The one phrase that kept catching my eye was: “we are an equal opportunity employer committed to a diverse work force.” What in the world did this mean? The more I saw this phrase the more curious I became to it’s meaning. I applied for positions for which I was more than qualified to hold and everytime, almost without exception, I received the same gracious letter saying that I did not meet some criteria for employment.
How could this be? I have the appropriate degree, more than the minimum required experience, proficiencies in areas far beyond those called for in the advertisement and yet all these rejections. Why?
My angst continued to grow as the potential of our company closing became more than a passing whisper.
My children noticed the change in my otherwise easygoing attitude. I became curt and insensitive, almost unapproachable to the children that I spend so much of my evening and weekend time laughing, playing games and being more than a father too. My wife noticed and on one of our evening walks chided me for blowing up at some small faux paus of one of our children. When I explained what was going on at work she paused for a minute, held my hand and said “it’ll be OK. We’ve gone through worse.”
One day I was speaking with a friend of mine that works in personnel at a large company about my situation, hoping that in some small way she may be able to point me in a direction, help with some contacts or at least make a phone call on my behalf. She listened very patiently to me explain my situation, took a deep breath and explained everything to me. She said “remember learning in American history class in high school about the Irish immigrants? Remember how they would look for work and find the sign ‘NINA?’ Do you remember what that meant? No Irish Need Apply? Today, companies can’t be that crass. The phrase, you see, really means ‘No White Males Need Apply.’ In larger companies we are under pressure to hire a diverse work force, one that the government says reflects the community at large. The problem is that many of the positions require certain skills that are not necessarily available from that talent pool, so we have to hire a less qualified person, spend a large amount of time and money training them and hope that they work out. We could save money by hiring a person that is more qualified but does not fit the profile we are mandated to hire but that would only result in additional complications. I don’t like it anymore than you do, but it is a fact of life.”
I was outraged.
I thanked my friend for her candor and she promised to make a call on my behalf to a potential employer. While I realize that this is quixotic battle, I come to it experienced enough to know that if you keep chopping away at the windmill it will eventually fall down.
So if there is an employer out there that is looking for someone that has an extensive background in industrial sales, market research, plant operations, is PC literate and can hit the ground running, he will be available after January first.
Through the Mill 