I'm prejudiced and trying to fix that.

29 Comments

1. AnonymousOctober 20,2023 at 4:52PM UTC

   Try to focus on the job offers, not the name of the recruiter. A lot of times the recruiters are from an agency, and not the company you would work for anyway. Vet the job offers rigorously since there are fake ones out there. That said there are a lot of people from India in tech, so make sure that you can work with them if you are hired.

2. Maggie StoneOctober 21,2023 at 1:08PM UTC

   First, I applaud you for taking the step to acknowledge and discuss your racism. I think anonymous makes a good point. In an increasingly global an multicultural workforce, we are all going to have to face our own racism and prejudices. Can you work with this population? During my graduate work in counseling and therapy, we were required to participate in multiple multicultural immersion experiences. For example, some of the options included attending a pride event, heritage festival, or religious service. The major requirement was that whatever option we chose had to be uncomfortable for us and we had to interact and engage with attendees. We then had to examine how our own experiences led to these prejudices. I would suggest this for everyone. The other option is doing research into cultural norms and looking for documentaries. There is a lot of growth sitting with the discomfort.

3. AnonymousOctober 20,2023 at 4:55PM UTC

   I don't see the connection between avoiding sketchy red-flagged offers and being a racist. . .

   But, as someone who was raised in a very racist culture (Deep South USA), I've learned to constantly guard my thoughts. It's kind of like when someone hurts you and then you meet someone who looks like that offender--you have to be careful not to let the look-alike suffer the consequences of the offender. Just keep reminding yourself that people are individuals and should be treated as such, not lumped into a stereotype that's likely inaccurate anyway. Eventually, the auto-processes in your brain will change and you'll have those thoughts less and less. Also, and this sounds contradictory but it helps, try reading up on the cultural differences between India and your home culture. A lot of workplace conflict is just cultural misunderstandings. I recommend The Culture Map by Erin Meyer as a good place to start.

4. Maggie StoneOctober 21,2023 at 1:30PM UTC

   Here is what the op has said or implied: while they don’t like cold contacts at all ( who does?), they are particularly challenged about being objective about evaluating job offers when the communication comes from a specific ethnic group. They ignore correspondence with any recruiters with an Indian last name. So, do see the connection to biases and racism.

5. AnonymousOctober 21,2023 at 12:45PM UTC

   I get these too and they look like they come from a pool of people in India who are spraying candidates who might have some of the skills required for the job hoping to catch one who does. I don’t know how they make money. Maybe it isn’t on commission because all the ones I get have nothing to do with what I do. And many are short term contract jobs. Many say hybrid but are located in other states. I get annoyed as well and just ignore them, although I wish I could shut them off. It’s not so much that you are racist towards Indians, it’s that you question this tactic, which seems to be very common in India.

6. GirlBossanova934974October 21,2023 at 1:01PM UTC

   You are not being a "racist". You are simply connecting the WRONG 2 variables in your thinking. The fact that the sketchy recruiter is Indian or Pakistani has nothing to do with the fact that the company the recruiter works for is sketchy. It just happens that these sketchy staffing agencies are staffed by people who are not well paid. These companies are low cost, low results companies. It is all about paying the staff very little money and outbound calling large groups of people. WELCOME to the world of INTERNATIONAL low cost labor. The world which many American and European businesses turn to in order to make their profits. The world where you as a customer think you are dealing with Americans when in fact the company you are working is nothing but a FRONT for offshore labor which is willing to work for a fraction of the money that Americans would require. The only problem with this FRONT is that the low cost labor has very little expertise and thus has poor results with employers.

7. AnonymousOctober 21,2023 at 1:35PM UTC

   I actually understand where you’re coming from. I get so many calls from recruiters where they can’t speak English whatsoever, send me jobs and call me for roles I’ve never done and am not qualified for, or for states nowhere near where I live. They don’t even get my name right which leads me

   to believe they can’t read English well

   either. I get fully annoyed at the vm’s that are spoken extremely fast,low and completely unable to decipher. When you’re struggling to get a job this only becomes more infuriating

8. AnonymousOctober 21,2023 at 3:50PM UTC

   yes, and I would not lump these concerns with "being racist".

9. Afo Ogbeyalu KaluOctober 21,2023 at 1:56PM UTC

   A number of companies, especially in the tech field, use call center/customer service/support staff from India, and other parts of the world. I state this to alert you that the foreign voice is oftentimes a legitimate solicitor, or authorized agent of a company. This doesn't mean you shouldn't vet the cold calls. It just means that you should reconsider assuming that these calls are predatory. Now that you've acknowledged your biases, the next step is to remind yourself that these biases may be blocking your blessings/opportunities, and decide whether or not it is worth it to you to "take the leap . . . " ??

10. Trish CunninghamOctober 22,2023 at 7:38PM UTC

    The most logical response yet!

    I've been in the same situation of having to vet the recruiting company in spite of who they have cold calling for them but never even occurred to me to be suspicious of the person's origins. That's simply unfair to the legit recruiter that means you no harm!

    Anyways, get over the irrational emotional response of prejudice and use the rational, logical side instead:

    -know what recruiters typically ask for. Name, last 4 of ssn (no more than that) to confirm you haven’t been submitted for the same position

    -if you're not comfortable providing last 4 of ssn, say so

    -vet the recruiting firm itself, they usually have the position posted on their own official staffing website

    - never pay for placement or send any payment in any form especiall cash apps or gift cards

    -lastly ask around and network with other professionals on which staffing firms worked well for them. Some good ones I've worked with are Insight Global, Randstadt, Aditi staffing, etc

    Good luck!

11. AnonymousOctober 21,2023 at 4:08PM UTC

    I had a call with the police recently asking if someone was scamming me, the officer told me to ignore the person-and said he almost never answers his phone because the real problem is that people are sadly just really stupid these days and are terrible at making decisions.

12. AnonymousOctober 21,2023 at 5:05PM UTC

    There are a TON of shady reachouts happening and many companies are outsourcing their sourcing for new candidates to non-US countries. I would ignore the babble and only respond when it is appropriate or the role is in your realm. I work in HR/legal and can tell you that once I got a call from a reputable company with an Indian person doing the screening call, that call was terrible but they put me to the next phase, the next call was worse with the person literally speaking from a script, and then when I escalated it to the top of the food chain and shared my experience I understood they had outsourced the whole function. Shameful really but if that is the low point of how the company does not value the functional team I would have been joining I cannot imagine working there. Sounds like you will be dodging bullets. In tech there are a lot of ex-pats from many places....not just India. Take heed and keep a separate email and phone number for just your job search so as not to get scammed.

13. AnonymousOctober 22,2023 at 1:19AM UTC

    I don't have a problem with the accents, but almost all of these calls are for temp jobs (although the jobs and client companies are real, as evidenced from the interviews I've had).

    But these are never permanent to temp-to-hire. I just politely decline. It's very frustrating.

14. AnonymousOctober 22,2023 at 12:31PM UTC

    Personally, my yardstick is if I can't understand them on the phone, whether I'm talking with them or they leave me a voicemail, I don't want them representing me to a potential employer. I don't care what country they're from; if I can't have a conversation without continually asking them to repeat themselves, how do I know what (or how) they're speaking to others?

15. Heidi CoonsOctober 22,2023 at 12:39PM UTC

    Church does not make everything better. It's magical thinking and will not help this her situation.

16. AmandaOctober 22,2023 at 12:57PM UTC

    Religion causes more problems than it solves. Source: The entirety of human history.

17. AnonymousOctober 22,2023 at 1:07PM UTC

    Mike, Pray that the people in India will be able to sustain on jobs that pertain to their country. There are too many people in India and not enough work. If the jobs were real from India, Indians would be taking them. So, go to church, bring up this mightily sad situation, which only gets worse with their overpopulation, and pray that the leaders of that country stop pouring money back to the rich, as they are doing in this country, and figure out a way to sustain their population in a dignified manner. Pray, Pray, Pray that those who are desperate will find a source to make new and healthy wealth. Pray, Pray, Pray that the powers in charge get their shit together and realize that we are all connected and that destroying the earth for the sake of a few will be their downfall also. Pray

18. AnonymousOctober 22,2023 at 1:23PM UTC

    I honestly do not think you are racist unless there are other aspects of your life where you truly are prejudice.
    I don't know.

    However, many of these calls and emails are scams and that is just the reality. For me I don't care what group of people it is....if I get a shaddy call or email regarding employment or anything else I'm blocking. I generally do not answer unknown calls. It is NOT your fault that this is the age where people are scamming like crazy.

19. Kimberly McKenzie-KlemmOctober 22,2023 at 2:51PM UTC

    Same here. I generally just reply "not interested" and ask to be taken off the list from those recruiters a bit on the shady side to my mind. Also, I sometimes get two or three recruitment offers at once with the same job description. I do not know if they are all false or if "copycats" are running loose. I tend to avoid those as well. As far as the Indian last names...almost all of them! Maybe they are willing to work low wages for sending out these emails or my cousin has a cousin who can also do this work type of thing. I don't worry about the names so much as I am concerned about the use of my information if these are just "fillers" (recruiters having to submit a certain number of applicants even though a company might have already picked up a decision for the job). Keep track of the names. Chances are an actual recruiter will have you on a list and send for other opportunities later and you can recognize someone trying to work for you.

20. Bradford McCormickOctober 22,2023 at 3:42PM UTC

    You say you are prejudiced. My advice, for what it may or may not be worth:

    (1) Look you prejudices squrealy in the face. Think about them. Do they make sanse to you. Do they feel righ ttoyou? Or are they jsut somethin gsomebody told you? If yes leave them alone ("If the shoe fits, wear it."). If no then change them to something tht does make sense and feels right to you. Do not try to "mess mess with your head". If you like something you like it; if your don't you don't, whatever anybody might think about it if they were to find out about it. But make sure you really are at pease with yourself. Consider that U.S. Assoc. Supreme Court Justics Clarence Thomas (who is black, obviously) says he would rather deal with an honest racist than a hypocritical liberal.

    (2) In civil society everybody needs to be equally respected regardless what anybody thinks of or feels about anybody else within the limits that nobody should intrude on anybody else, etc. It's called "tolerance". So in dealing with others in civil society (note I keep using that word "civil society" it does not refer to the bedroom but is does refer to the boardroom and even the lockerroom) -- in civlil society you need to park your prejudices at the door of your house or your car or whever your private space ends. Don't change how you feel. But do change, if necessary, how you behave.

    Does that make sense? Don't' try to "mess with your head" but do police your behavior; you do not havve to like the cop, just obey the law. This can even be applied to parenting. I quote from Dr. Scndor Ferenczi wrote, in an essay evocatively titled "The Adaptation of the Family to the Child": I am reminded of an incident with a little nephew of my own, whom I treated as leniently as, in my view, a psycho-analyst should. He took advantage of this and began to tease me, then wanted to beat me, and then to tease and beat me all the time. Psycho-analysis did not teach me to let him beat me ad infinitum, so I took him in my arms, holding him so that he was powerless to move, and said: "Now beat me if you can!" He tried, could not, called me names, said that he hated me; I replied: "All right, go on, you may feel these things and say these things against me, but you must not beat me." In the end he realized my advantage in strength and his equality in fantasy, and we became good friends. (Sandor Ferenczi, "Final contributions to the problems and methods of psychoanalysis", 1955, p. 75)

21. AnonymousOctober 22,2023 at 4:35PM UTC

    In social work we do a few exercises that reveal our biases and prejudices. Many of us feel horrified to look at our bias, but as humans we all have bias, it is a part of being human. It's important to recognize those biases and understand that you are not a bad person, you may have been raised to accept certain types of bias, or a bad experience or story may have fed into it. Regardless, it's very hard to get rid of those biases. As long as you treat people, no matter how you feel about their race or culture, with courtesy and respect, then you should be able to manage most interactions. It does go both ways - if you are not being treated well in kind, you can walk away from the situation.

22. AnonymousOctober 22,2023 at 6:19PM UTC

    Wars have been fought because of church.
    Consider the Crusades and what is currently happening in Gaza. Your god is not my god. This advice is so outdated and out of place.

23. AnonymousOctober 22,2023 at 7:39PM UTC

    Please get off this platform

24. AyianOctober 22,2023 at 7:50PM UTC

    You've already identified the problematic behavior that you're associating inappropriately with others in that demographic who aren't exhibiting them. Now, you'll need to consciously stop yourself and ask "Are they doing anything on this checklist of bad behaviors or are they doing something that I think I should add to the checklist?" If the answer is no, then take a breath and actively give them however much trust or benefit of the doubt you would for any other demographic. You might be skeptical for a while, but that's okay. Consider it like a muscle that you're building. As you practice, what started out to be difficult will come easier. In time, you may begin to completely separate all Indian subcontinent names from sketchy recruiter behavior.

    It is also important to realize that there are many such foreign recruiters that will respond to a company's request for recruiters to send their talent and subsequently reach out to anyone any everyone they can without prejudice (in this case, we're talking not matching location, skills, experience, or even field).

25. CassieOctober 22,2023 at 8:54PM UTC

    Only answer when timing is OK for you. And you just need to find one or two who might be open to learning about you and helping. No thanks, is a complete sentence. So is, please send me your info by email and I'll look at it soon. Generally try to match yr needs on the net, not cold calls. I had an Indian woman sell me a bank loan that it took me months to realize did not fit my situation. I'm still mad at the time waste, and more alert. I got to know n love the culture by befriending tenants, showing them the area. Noted strong family help, involvement. Better to learn in ways that dont impact your financial life.

26. AnonymousOctober 22,2023 at 10:11PM UTC

    Red flags are red flags! Trust your gut instincts and avoid them. I do. Do t feel bad. Most of these are scam “jobs” that are not real. They are trying to get your personal data. Move on. Good luck.

27. AnonymousOctober 23,2023 at 3:13AM UTC

    I am not sure its being prejudice, I am of Indian descent, and I avoid these recruiters like the plague, because there is no follow through. I have received emails and voicemails that have nothing to do with my resume and nowhere near where I live nor do they offer remote options or relocation reimbursement, so it is a waste of time to reply to these small company recruiters. Its really a good idea to vet people, I get lots of scam texts and emails and I try to google the name along with the company. Its really good to do your research prior to responding to anyone. I am also leaning towards the tech sector and over 40, its really rough in the tech sector and I've had to reinvent myself a bit. I recently finished a full time master's degree in tech and it currently seems useless. We definitely have to stay positive. Good Luck

28. AnonymousOctober 23,2023 at 3:44PM UTC

    Not putting blind trust based on noted scam tactics is not prejudiced. No need to address anything, in my opinion. This type of thinking leads to reverse discrimination.

29. AnonymousOctober 24,2023 at 4:11PM UTC

    At the outset, prejudice of any form leads to bias and discrimination. You should base each call / request on its own merit and that way there is no bias against one segment of the population.

    Given what you state, a few statements below the lines that call out "Indian last names" , where you say "regardless of race", goes to show that has not been your overall experience anyway. So if you had looked for other patterns and said most of these fake/sketchy offers come from a few companies that would have been a better classification system overall and then you avoiding them would have made sense.

    But I am genuinely glad to see you are now trying to focus on other criteria to look for. I would say start with the obvious ones like company, its history and its engagement level with clients. You can also ask the cold-calling recruiter how many people have they placed with that client, is it direct to client or third party etc to gauge . In most cases they farthest they are from the client the more chances they are willing to bend some rules.