Based on a true story.
Adebayo is a Senior Project Manager. He has a Master’s Degree in Business and over 10 years of experience in his field.
He moved to Canada from Nigeria a year ago to finish his studies in business. He got straight As. He was respected by his peers and Professors.
The job of your dreams.
No matter your race, or where you're from.
When he speaks people stop and listen. He’s that rare combination between confidence and approachability.
Adebayo is a tall and fit looking Black man. He wears dark blue jeans and collared shirts. His loafer style shoes look expensive. Sometimes he adds a colorful scarf to his outfit.
He is effortlessly stylish and polished.
He started looking for work shortly before finishing his Master’s Degree. He targeted Senior Project Manager roles requiring 10 years’ experience – exactly what he had.
‘Not a single interview’, Adebayo vents to his wife.
‘I meet every requirement. I’m not sure what else I can do to get an interview. I’ve even had my resume reviewed by a professional. I can’t figure out what’s wrong here.’
‘In frustration, I’ve even tried applying for roles which require less experience. Still, nothing’, he says.
‘Maybe it’s time to give up.’
Adebayo decides to try one last tactic. He hires a Career Coach.
‘I’m not sure how I feel about it, but it worked’, he says to his Coach.
‘After months of job searching, I’m now landing interviews.’
‘On the one hand, I am grateful to be this much closer to landing my dream job in Canada. On the other hand, I am so sad that I wasn’t given a fair shot’.
The Coach had suggested Adebayo consider the possibility that he was being screened out of the process unfairly. Because of his Nigerian name.
Adebayo moved from using his name to a North American nickname. Adebayo became Adam to get more interviews.
‘I was shocked to see that reapplying under a different name brought such different results. As soon as I’m hired, I’ll be telling the employer to call me Adebayo.’
Two weeks later, he got the job of his dreams. He was hired into a Senior Project Manager role at one of the region’s top employers.
Despite all the unfair setbacks, he was Adebayo again.
‘My name is an important part of my identity’, he said.
‘If people only focused on understanding it’s meaning and significance, rather than its pronunciation, it would make a big difference.’
“My name means he was happy. And I am.”
Unfortunately, many candidates with non Non American sounding names may face challenges like this in their job search. The decision to change your name on your resume is a difficult one. Coming to terms with the bias you are facing might be even harder. In this video I explore importance considerations for job seekers who feel they might be facing challenges similar to those faced by Adebayo.
There is nothing wrong with your name. There is, however, lots wrong when it comes to bias in the hiring process.
