Phycological effects from AA/BEE

E

Eh!

Senior Member
Joined
Dec 9, 2006
Messages
512
Reaction score
0
Lately, I'm hearing a lot of grunts and moans from my collegues and friends about being rejected for jobs/promotions due to their skin colour. I know the positions and vacancies applied are challenging and requires high calibre individuals with extraordinary skills and talent, also this is a recessionary period so the market is more competitive.

My contract will be ending soon and if I stay in SA, I can't help but think if my race will have anything to do with my job application being rejected. The mere existence of affirmative action laws automatically triggers the thought lingering in the back of my mind even though logic tells me my competitors may be more qualified and experienced.

It doesn't help when one of my medicore black female co-workers walked into one of the big 4 banks last December despite only having an undergraduate degree whereas most of us have professional qualification in addition post grad degrees.

Anyone have similar thoughts?
 
Phycology:

1. (n.) The science of algae, or seaweeds; algology.
Click to expand...

Sorry couldn't help myself. :D

I think it's up to yourself to make it in life. If it affects you psychologically you need to first get your own head straight otherwise you'll just end up appearing to have a victim mentality. :whistle:
 
Maybe I should pump a bullet at each of your kneecap, one at your groin while you squeal like a piglet and tell you to stop acting like a victim? You've probably never worked in a corporate enviroment or had a real job in your life sonny.
 
Yea ignore that fool SernePhoenix. Eh! it does suck. I happen to be an indian dude in a big corporate, so i feel a bit more secure. A couple of my friends were let go from other companies as they needed to release people and the junior non-aa go first. Now they are struggling to get jobs, one dude just took a job from the first offer, other dude is willing to take a pay cut, he just wants work :\
 
Funny thing, alot of my qualified Indian friends, collegues and clients are considering and actually leaving for Oz and Nz. You know the situation is bad when semi-BEE candidates are leaving the country despite having preferential treatment. Their reason is that its simply not worth it. I know some people think the exclusion is it not that much big-a-deal but for some of us, its our bread and butter and I personally know guys that got shafted and have been unemployed since mid last year. Its all smiles and positive greetings at work but I can sense the frustration and resentment.
 
@Tco21
A quick glance at careerjunction and Pnet will tell you about 1/3 of banking, finance and management positions are only reserved for AA/BEE. BusRep did a story a while ago about more draconian laws to be passed and enforced in 2010 to compel companies to increase BEE candidates hirings. In 2007, our total graduate recruit was about 30% black, 10% Indian and rest coloured and white. In 2008 the black recruits jumped to over 60% and more last year. The quality of grads have also been declining i.e. still studying for bachelors part time while working and mismatch between the qualification and businesses needs. Its incidents like these that I suspect companies and firms will go at any length to hire people with the right appearance just to obtain BEE status and tenders, and I don't blame them for surviving. I support increasing the black middle class and black participation as I'm exasperated of being over taxed to death, only 5 million registered income taxpayers and a growing 13 million people on welfare.
 
eh! you'll notice that for many of those positions, they list them as BEE or EE but upon reading the advertisement, it doesn't explicitely say that that is the case. I know that it would sound redundant but perhaps it's not the case. Anyway, having a look at the listings in bizcommunity's job section, EE-only positions are quite rare - as per my previous post.
 
Some of my clients are in the recruitment industry and from casual small talks with the staffs and consultant, their clients (companies that are hiring) specifically want BEE candidates. They don't advertise BEE/AA for for no reason. If you read some postings carefully, you'll note BEE-ONLY. I had a chinese co-worker apply to a BEE adv position in a bank last year and was told to sod off.

Blue chip compnies and even ome minor league commercial entities have their own BEE departments mandated to ensure the companies meets BEE requirement to gain competitive advantage. I've met hardworking Ghanan(sp?) and Zimbabwian who immigrated to SA post '94 and was never subjected to apartheid laws and these guys are BEE certified. Another example, I have Polish neighbours (also immigrants) that never benefited from apartheid but are shafted. I can't read people's thoughts but I'm willing to bet that those African immigrants are thinking - "ha ha ha! I got a job b/c I'm black" whereas those Poles think to thenselves - "oh shyt! wrong skin colour, made the mistake by coming to Africa"
 
Eh! said:
Some of my clients are in the recruitment industry and from casual small talks with the staffs and consultant, their clients (companies that are hiring) specifically want BEE candidates. They don't advertise BEE/AA for for no reason. If you read some postings carefully, you'll note BEE-ONLY. I had a chinese co-worker apply to a BEE adv position in a bank last year and was told to sod off.
Click to expand...

didnt the chinese petition the constitutional court to get themselves declared black so as to qualify for BEE

it was in the news last year
 
wikk3d88 said:
didnt the chinese petition the constitutional court to get themselves declared black so as to qualify for BEE
it was in the news last year
Click to expand...

I believe it was the high court that ruled in favour for them to qualify for BEE but was politically opposed by the ANC with zero backing. I've also worked on tenders hence it's a classic case of - it's law but not applied in practice. I suppose there are a few Chinese here and there benefiting from BEE but I haven't seen it in practice.
 
When I started working I was rejected for either being white, or over qualified (don't have matric, and had an MCSE at the time) - go figure.

I've decided that if I find myself in that situation again, I'll immigrate - I'm not good at begging for anything.

If a country wants to destroy itself by placing uneducated/skilled people in positions of importance purely to meet quota's/proof a point - then good luck to them - I sincerely hope they succeed - we didn't go straight from inventing the wheel to building a Ferrari.
 
Eh! said:
Maybe I should pump a bullet at each of your kneecap, one at your groin while you squeal like a piglet and tell you to stop acting like a victim? You've probably never worked in a corporate enviroment or had a real job in your life sonny.
Click to expand...

that was overboard geez relax

As for this topic i know that i once got turned down for a job and knew the person who got the job from college his marks weren't near mine and i know this was this first job where as i had the nesccessary experience but he still got it :confused:

oh well if i had a choice i would get a job overseas in a heartbeat

maybe i should apply for refugee status in Canada :D
 
xrapidx said:
When I started working I was rejected for either being white, or over qualified (don't have matric, and had an MCSE at the time) - go figure.

I've decided that if I find myself in that situation again, I'll immigrate - I'm not good at begging for anything.

If a country wants to destroy itself by placing uneducated/skilled people in positions of importance purely to meet quota's/proof a point - then good luck to them - I sincerely hope they succeed - we didn't go straight from inventing the wheel to building a Ferrari.
Click to expand...

That's the point I'm getting at, you have your education and experience but got rejected, was it because you were white or were you over/underqualified? I'm tired of playing guessing games. We're about the same age and after we pass a certain age, its going to be harder for us to emigrate.
 
Cause I'm white - the over qualified thing was them not having the balls to say cause I'm white.

Fortunately - I can get out quite easily as I have a British passport :)
 
xrapidx said:
Fortunately - I can get out quite easily as I have a British passport :)
Click to expand...

That's always a bonus. I have an Australian passport, so it's always handy as a backup/ escape.

I have just come back to South Africa from Australia permanently after having lived there for 9 years. I came back with my parents (I'm 19) and I absolutely love South Africa. My parents are 39 and 43 and they are basically retired (Australia has done us good). As positive as I am about this country, reading about AA and BEE just always ruins my day. All my family are still in good jobs and most of my friends have jobs after finishing matric/ university. I have never known of a white person struggling to find employment (just the ones I see begging for money at the robots).

I am desperate for some sort of consistency. I need to figure this out. The media/ negative people feed me stories about white people being disadvantaged in employment and all sorts of other things. But in real life, it's the exact opposite... at least in my world. :confused:
 
dave1 said:
All my family are still in good jobs and most of my friends have jobs after finishing matric/ university. I have never known of a white person struggling to find employment (just the ones I see begging for money at the robots).

I am desperate for some sort of consistency. I need to figure this out. The media/ negative people feed me stories about white people being disadvantaged in employment and all sorts of other things. But in real life, it's the exact opposite... at least in my world. :confused:
Click to expand...

This is my experience. Most white people I know have really decent jobs. Anyway, if one can't find a job, *make* a job - that's what entrepreneurship is about.
 
Speaking from current experience, I have vacancies where I am only allowed to employ "Black African" females. We are not allowed to advertise it as such, but when we shortlist it is the primary criteria.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top
Sign up to the MyBroadband newsletter
X