Should I complete the gender, race & ethnicity portion of an application if I'm a white man looking for a job?

Question

Will it work to my benefit if I complete this voluntary portion of the application that the governement requires employers to request, or should I not complete it at all and leave the employer guessing. I want the job. I think the government does this because they want to promote "equal opportunity employment". How equal is it though if I am put lower on the list because I am a white man? I'm a white man and an immigrant from Canada living in Fresno, California. And believe me, I feel like a minority sometimes!

Apparently in California it is not illegal to ask that question. I've been asked it more than once by reputable companies. From my understanding, Arnold is planning on overturning that policy. Go Arny! I'm with Stephen Colbert... I don't see race.

The truth is some companies actually have imposed quotas that the govenment enforces. And no. I don't have any racial bias. I found the whole thing innocently interesting when I moved down here until it got personal like this in my job search.

Answer 1

I'm a Black man and that box can be used either way. I've never filled it in. Let them decide on you once you get in the office.

Answer 2

Well, I hope your message ("...I feel like a minority sometimes") that *might* be indicating you resent the presence of large numbers of other ethnicities (it's probably not, just gotta say that though anytime I get into this subject...)

BUT

I see your point. Regular racism isn't gone, and now with "affirmative action"-type actions affecting many segments of our lives, "white" people have to fear racism against them.

Racism is now just distributed throughout the entire social web, some legislated and officially sanctioned (affirmative action-type) and some grassroots (good ol' fashioned hatred for the black and brown and...Far Eastern peoples of this world).

Beautiful, isn't it?

But, I'm absolutely sure that your answer on this form will not be legally used to affect your chance of employment. There's no race discrimination allowed in employment. And it's unlikely that you'll face any (race or gender) discrimination from some rogue government employee in charge of personnel who is throwing out white men's applications. In fact, it's just not happening.

What can happen is the (ever present but not always concretely manifest) discrimination you'll face when you go in for an interview and the person across the table from you makes a decision based on your race and gender -- not because it's on a form but because they can see you! So, there's no hiding your "race" (in most cases...) and gender (hopefully it's obvious when someone meets you!) in the hiring process. And you will face discrimination based on this in your life, sometimes it will be extremely negligible and sometimes the person will consciously or unconsciously reject or accept you as opposed to another otherwise equally qualified applicant solely based on your gender or race. No hiding from this -- they'll meet you eventually regardless of the form.

Also, and this one has been very much proven, good looking and tall men men do better than shorter, less visually impressive men.

So, the form isn't going to affect anything. Now, on an application for a college it would be another story...

But I wouldn't fill it out just because its nobody's business and the mere idea of giving the government more info about me makes me queasy. It just makes the job of the Main Cop a little easier when the government really cracks down on our freedoms, if you know what I mean.

All that said: a white male is still the luckiest gender-race combo in this country from an employment standpoint. Me and you got it easy, huh?

Answer 3

In the US, The only way race/ethnicity questions on a pre-employment job application is really even legal is if it is a bon-a-fide qualification for the job. an example might be in the business's of providing specific forms of entertainment, or advertising and modeling they might have to have a black model or an Asian model, ect. EDIT: so of course Qwerty it is your right to leave that secition blank on a pre-employment application. I am white and i leave all questions that have anything to do with race, religion, age, and sexual orientation blank they do not need that info until after thay have hired you and even then legally they do not need it. one exception is the question are you over the age of 18 and are you a legal resident of the US. Can an employer ask about an applicant's race on an application form? Employers may legitimately need information about their employees or applicants race for affirmative action purposes and/or to track applicant flow. One way to obtain racial information and simultaneously guard against discriminatory selection is for employers to use separate forms or otherwise keep the information about an applicant's race separate from the application. In that way, the employer can capture the information it needs but ensure that it is not used in the selection decision. Unless the information is for such a legitimate purpose, pre-employment questions about race can suggest that race will be used as a basis for making selection decisions. If the information is used in the selection decision and members of particular racial groups are excluded from employment, the inquiries can constitute evidence of discrimination.

Answer 4

Fill-up all the blanks in the application form because not doing so might result to a denial for the job. All people should be equal under the law and must be given the same opportunities when in similar situations.

Answer 5

A few things:
- as a white male, ethnicity doesn't apply to you
- if white males were SO discriminated against then they would not be in 90% of all management, executive and leadership positions nor would they be more employed than all other races and genders
- equal opportunity laws are necessary because throughtout history white males proved they will not be fair in hiring practices

Answer 6

Im a white man in alabama so I am on the bottom of the list and immediately classed as stupid when they hear my accent (it does however get me laid constantly when I am out of the south). Yes you should fill it out. Companies tend to deem any withholding of info a threat.

Answer 7

No, I'm biracial, and I always take a pass on those questions. Hiring quotas are unethical, and I believe they're now illegal.

Answer 8

I think the question is that as a white man, do you even deserve a job?

Answer 9

Wow, you know it is illegal for that to be considered on an application now? You don't have to answer them, you are well within your rights not to.