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Michaelo
Guest
Hypothetically, if an employer examines two applicants (one white, one black) and finds that they are equally qualified for the position, which should he hire? Is there a morally acceptable option in this situation?
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BillP
Guest
Hypothetically, there really isn’t any case where applicants are “equally” qualified for a particular position. The fact that two candidates appear equally qualified just means you have to look at them in more detail for more subtle, less obvious differences that will give one candidate the edge.
FREX I have an entry-level insurance adjuster position that I need to fill. I specify that I need someone with BA or BS, I get 50 resumes with 4-year degrees but no experience.
I would first look to see who had business degrees considering them “more qualified” than Liberal Arts folks (Nothing against Liberal Arts, this is just an example) which takes me down to ten.
Of those 10 “equally qualified” candidates, 4 had specifically Insurance based business degrees, so I exclude the 6 that don’t.
Of the 4 “equally qualified” candidates with Insurance degrees, I find two of them have a 4.0 average, one has a 3.6 and one has a 3.5, so I exclude the sub-4.0 folks (again assuming grades = qualifications, again this is just an example).
So I’ve got two “equally qualified” candidates with insurance degrees and 4.0 averages. So I look at the elective courses they took one had 5 electives and used 3 of them for business courses, the other had 6 electives and only used 2 of them for business courses.
Ah! Finally a difference! I hire the person with the 3/5 business electives regardless of race, gender, religion, etc.
My point is not that degrees, grades, or elective course choice matters, but that when two candidates appear to be equal, a close enough look will reveal differences.
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Sr_Sally
Guest
I would assume that if both candidates are equally qualified, that the hiring manager can use other legal criteria to determine the difference–just as he would if both candidates were the same race. So for example, he might be consider other experiences not directly related to the job; maybe a language knowledge, maybe volunteer experiences.
In real life there are always distinguishing differences between people other than race. Now if the hiring manager is sued (by either candidate), I have no idea if something like choosing the one who lives closer would hold up in court!
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kage_ar
Guest
Having hired many people, no two are ever equally quailified, or never in a situation I have experienced.
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Just_Lurking
Guest
Back in the 1980’s, I worked for a large company where the Affirmative Action rule was that if there was a qualified female or minority, then you should hire or promote them, otherwise the job goes to the most qualified white male.
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