Sometimes, our words and actions may be perceived much differently than we intend. Recently, Stefano was interviewing Belinda for a sales position which required alot of travel. She disclosed that she had just recently gotten married. The manager congratulated her, wished her the best of luck, and then asked her whether she wanted a big family. The candidate said that she came from a family of 5 and that she wanted at least that many children. The manager then ran through the standard interview questions with the candidate and thanked her for coming. She never heard back from that company and later found out through a friend of hers who worked there that they hired a younger male who was single and had no kids. She perceived she was discriminated against because of her gender, marital status, and perceived family status. That case settled for $20,000 (not counting attorney’s fees). Most of us don’t intend to discriminate, but intentions don’t matter in a discrimination lawsuit. Perception is what matters. So how can you better align your manager’s intent with how they’re being perceived? Please contact me, and I’d be happy to discuss solutions to these kind of workplace problems.
