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The hard thing about this situations the ambiguity. The only real answer is to look inside yourself and try to evaluate if there is something you’d do differently. Also try to gather as much feedback as possible but evaluate everything with a skeptical eye because if they really didn’t give you any warning, then this is not a good look for them. Try to use this as an opportunity to learn without hating on yourself. Also don’t sign any performance improvement plan documentation without having someone else look it over first. You don’t want to agree to something if it is a true falsification. Examine all angles before taking action.
Also, try to give yourself the benefit of the doubt and love yourself. Even if you did make a mistake - everyone does, and unfortunately they may have been less forgiving of you than they would someone white. Try to give yourself the compassion you didn’t get from your team and get ready for a better career move.
SVP1 it's easy to say that if race was a factor that he or she wouldn't have been hired in the first place, but with many agencies paying lip service to diversity and inclusion situations like this are the norm. Getting hired and onboarded os somewhat of a honeymoon. Everyone is on their best behavior. Many people in hiring positions are actively trying to minimize their biases--not just race, but gender, sexuality, age, etc. But after the honeymoon, it gets harder. Working on teams requires a level of emotional intelligence that many in advertising lack. While no one will say it's because of your race, it's the language that people use and the support they give that points to bias. Are white coworkers getting feedback and development, but coworkers of color are not? Are white coworkers seen as passionate when they disagree, but coworkers of color are seen as confrontational? "Good fit" has been deemed as coded language by many in academia, especially when tangible feedback can't be delivered. Every day people of color hear the same things OP heard at agencies. If so many people are not a good fit, then it would point to agencies not trying to fit them the way they do White employees.
Racism exists throughout our industry for sure- more prevalent in Chicago than NY but you shouldn’t sign any paperwork until you’ve talked with someone. You need documentation if you’re going to fight them
my boss would frequently check on my non-poc coworkers and would always apologize for never having the time to check on me.. getting my boss to meet with me was like pulling teeth...
cont'd - because of the color of my skin.. I was the only poc in an all white team. No warnings or constructive feedback was given prior to my dismissal
1. The rules ain’t the same for us. You can’t be on your phone. The fact you even questioned your work ethic is an issue.
2. YOU are in charge of your career. In your next role ask for goals you will be judged against and have quarterly check-ins.
3. The average person is confrontation averse. White person to black is even more passive. Understand that and do suggestion #2 and be self aware and figure out ways to to seem more open
4. If you have down time, read ad age, watch a learning and development video that your company might offer or has a partnership. Solve for a problem or research an issue.
Best wishes!
Don’t let too much time go and reach out to HR stat. As an employee, you legally have the right to understand decisions affecting your employment. If you are still within the waiting period for signing your release, say your signature is contingent on it. It probably won’t get you your job back because that ship sailed a while ago. But if the reasons are valid, it will help inform your path. If they’re just BS, then you’ll be able to tell so thank them for saving you the grief of dealing with their discriminatory thinking.
Hi, guys I reached out to HR and they said I was let go because my team said I was on my phone "a lot" and because of that I was making mistakes and not "where I should have been" per the learning curve and my team was worried that they would have to constantly be trying to fix the "mistakes" that I might make(all in so many words)... Keep in mind I was still very, very new to the role and None of these concerns were EVER brought to my attention... I did make one or two mistakes during my role but they were very minor (said by my boss and coworkers) and did not cost the company ANY money.... HR said it was unfortunate because everyone in the office loved me because I was a "shining example of positivity" no lie... they also said that they would keep a lookout for me for positions that they deem would be a good fit for me in the future.. while I would like to be hopeful of that, I honestly feel betrayed.
If they are people who would fire you because of the color of your skin, they probably wouldn’t have taken you on in the first place. Try to get more specific feedback if you still can. “Not meeting job requirements” sounds like there should be something specific behind it.
no never personal calls! just scrolling through my phone when I had downtime. I always made it a priority to finish my work and reply to all emails before I picked up my phone. otherwise it would be locked away. If coworkers did make a mistake, then I didn't know about it.. communication was very sparse with my team.
It’s all about perception. Even looking at your phone in a meeting can be a sign of disinterest and question of commitment. Just be aware of your actions at all time. Assume someone is always watching
and I never really had a development plan.. just got thrown to the wolves.. they also hated when I asked too many questions.
SC1 - I would be interested to know what race-determined attributes make it difficult for people to work together after the “honeymoon period.” My experience is the opposite-especially in a professional setting. Once you have started working with someone, if they can do the job that’s all that matters. Also, in my experience, “bad fit” usually is a nice way of saying insufficient mental capacity. That said, this industry is full of bad managers who are too distracted to develop their teams. Junior folks need to proactively manage their own careers - which includes doing your own internal pr. Blaming race is a cop out that doesn’t help anyone.
@SVP1 - insufficient mental capacity... ouch. I may be biased, but I definitely do not think that was the case...
I’m so sorry this happened to you OP. I have seen this case far too often - people don’t offer direct feedback, and don’t give their peers an honest chance to improve before contributing to their downfall. Providing clear feedback is something many of us need to work on. We also all have to become more emotionally intelligent to protect ourselves, because humans are naturally conflict avoidant- even those in managerial roles.
The “on your phone” part is especially upsetting. Did they even give you a probation period with clear guidelines on how to improve? If not, then bring this up to HR to prove you were not given a fair chance.
If anything, I hope this serves as a lesson on human behavior and doesn’t diminish your confidence - i can tell you are proactive. that plus your optimism will get you so far- good luck!!
Low road, high road.
-M. Obama
Were you making personal calls?
If so, were they emergency calls or are you a caretaker?
Did other coworkers make mistakes that development plans were implemented around?
Hi, VP can we DM?
good news is other managers from within the company have been reaching out to me bc they want me on their team.
@AD1 - I would never think to pick up my phone in a meeting only at the solitude of my desk. Even then it would be for a brief period... Am I crazy to think that this way of thinking is a bit "old fashioned" Especially when technology is becoming more in your face.. I truly don't see the harm in occasionally taking a mental break and scrolling through one's phone... I will say though, my phone use has come to a halt since.