This archive report was first published on 13 September 2019.
On September 13, 2019, a security officer with 16 years of experience shared their story of being declared redundant and then having a job opportunity slip away due to alleged ethnic considerations.
After a lengthy interview process, the officer was offered a position as an assistant security manager, only to be told later that the opportunity had been given to the second best candidate to achieve tribal balance.
While some organizations prioritize talent diversity, others focus solely on merit. The key is to strike a balance between these two considerations without compromising the quality of talent.
However, in some cases, additional considerations may be necessary to avoid unwelcome situations, such as having an entire team or organization comprising individuals from a single clan.
Every situation should be judged independently, taking into account factors such as the organization's growth stage, ownership, aspirations, and purpose.
It is worth noting that if the HR function had reservations about the officer's tribe, this would have been brought up early on in the interview process. The issue of ethnicity in this case seemed to emanate from within the security function.
While it is impossible to speculate about what transpired, it is probably better that the officer faced disappointment immediately rather than experiencing discrimination after joining the organization.
