Each month we will feature a Q&A segment with staffing expert, Mrs. Janice Howroyd. If you have a question regarding your job search, please send them to qanda@careerbuilder.com
Janice Bryant Howroyd is the Founder and CEO of The Act•1 Group, a global staffing provider and a Women Minority Owned Business Enterprise (WMBE) company. The Act•1 group provides Workforce Solutions under the Agile•1 brand, an impressive array of business services solutions, and staffing under its premier employment service, AppleOne.
For over 45 years, AppleOne has been creating Temporary and Direct Hire career results for millions of job seekers through placement, resume assistance and career and interview coaching–all at no cost to the candidate. Included in its family of brands are AppleOne Employment (Administration and Support) At-tech (IT and Engineering), Accounting Advantage (Accounting), and All’s Well (Healthcare).
Q: Even though I have good skills, I think I am being overlooked for promotion because I speak with an accent. When I raised this question to my supervisor, he told me I was too sensitive. The only thing I’m sensitive about is that I keep getting overlooked. Should I go to HR, or will this hurt me later on?
A: Not knowing your full situation, I can’t advise you on whether you’re being discriminated against. If you truly believe that you have better qualifications, all around, than others who have been promoted over you, you should address this with the supervisor in charge of the promotion and the interview process. Do so in a clear and non-accusatory manner.
Even if you’ve addressed this before, as you indicate you have, go back and express that you have more questions about how you can grow in your company and that you see opportunities occurring that you want to be sure you are considered for. Ask your supervisor to work with you to ensure that the next time a promotion opportunity occurs, you can be considered and successful.
If you are unequivocally being overlooked for promotions you deserve, consider these two things:
1) You’re too good at what you’re currently doing to be “sacrificed” to a promotion. If this is the case, you will have to go above your supervisor’s head, and the best place to start might be HR. If you suspect this is the case, talk it out with that as your point of concern, with your supervisor. Exposed, he/she might just wake up and give you the chance to help train someone else to take your place should you qualify for the next promotion.
2) Be certain that you frame your concerns to HR, should this be your course of action, as a question. Accusations require a specific form of investigation in most organizations and if you are wrong in your claims, you will have compromised your supervisor and yourself. You may be able to determine if your language or accent is a reason for you being overlooked for promotion, if there are other people who speak with an accent being overlooked for reasons other than ability.
Have you noticed any of this? Are there workers with higher levels of responsibility and pay who do speak with accents? All of this will be considered during the course of investigating your concerns. Observe this as best you can all of this. You should not sit back and be overlooked for discriminatory reasons … just make sure you are clear in your concerns before you put yourself on the line.
Congratulations on working in a company that is growing and promoting its employees. If you find that you are not being denied promotion for the reason you thought, don’t just walk away from a great employer. As your company continues this growth, consider mixing and networking with employees in other departments than yours. Once someone sees your commitment to the company and your strength as an employee, you may be offered a position in another department..
