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Biased Hiring and Talking in Elevators - Episode 13
12 Plays5 years ago
Some serious spiel on some outlandish behavior in the hiring process here by private companies. Also the weird thing we do in elevators. Intense stuff folks!BECOME A SUPPORTERHey guys, if you enjoy my work then you can support it with as little as $2 (one time or monthly. It goes towards paying for equipment, time, all my comedy work including the podcasts, youtube videos and live events I do and MOST IMPORTANTLY towards my family. Help me feed my child here:www.patreon.com/join/salmanzq?
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Transcript
Introduction to Expat Brad Podcast
00:00:14
Speaker
Hi guys, welcome to the Expat Brad Podcast.
00:00:17
Speaker
I hope you are all, all of you, every single one of you are having a beautiful day.
00:00:24
Speaker
I mean it with the bottom of my heart because it doesn't cost me anything to say it.
00:00:30
Speaker
And even if I don't mean it, you all feel a little better already, don't you?
00:00:35
Speaker
Let's be honest.
00:00:36
Speaker
Just because I wished you guys a nice day.
00:00:40
Speaker
I'm not saying because I, I meant like someone who
00:00:42
Speaker
A second person, is it a third person?
00:00:45
Speaker
No, a second person, yeah, that's right.
00:00:47
Speaker
A second, someone else wished you a nice day.
00:00:51
Speaker
That's all it takes to be kind, right?
00:00:54
Speaker
That's all it takes, but we can't do that.
00:00:56
Speaker
It's so odd in this country sometimes because there's such a mix of people.
Creating a Friendlier Environment with Small Gestures
00:01:02
Speaker
Whenever I get into the lift, I say hi.
00:01:05
Speaker
I say hi to people.
00:01:06
Speaker
I just go, hey, what's up?
00:01:07
Speaker
How are you doing?
00:01:08
Speaker
And even some people go, oh, but I don't mean it, so why should I ask it?
00:01:12
Speaker
I think because a few kind words just uplifts everyone.
00:01:17
Speaker
You might detest it a little bit.
00:01:20
Speaker
But at the same time, you like the fact that someone cared about you, even though deep down you might think it's fake or whatever.
00:01:27
Speaker
We're just cynical people, aren't we?
00:01:29
Speaker
But what I find odd is how silent people are in elevators here.
00:01:34
Speaker
I know some people worry about coming across as creepy if they talk too much, but hey, a simple hello.
00:01:39
Speaker
No, we walk into spaces and we don't even say hi.
00:01:43
Speaker
Where did that come from?
00:01:45
Speaker
What is up with that?
00:01:46
Speaker
I like to shock people.
00:01:47
Speaker
I like to get into lifts and go, hey, how are you?
00:01:50
Speaker
What's up?
00:01:50
Speaker
What you doing?
00:01:52
Speaker
I know it's sounding like I corner people and make it really awkward.
00:01:56
Speaker
It doesn't.
00:01:57
Speaker
I think most people go, oh yeah, it's nice to say hi.
00:01:59
Speaker
And I think the majority of people do.
00:02:01
Speaker
I know sometimes you're not in the mood, but you got to do these things, you know?
00:02:06
Speaker
Maybe it'll help your mood if you just get in and say hi.
00:02:10
Speaker
Say hi next time, people.
00:02:12
Speaker
I just I can't believe we don't do that.
00:02:14
Speaker
It's so bizarre.
00:02:16
Speaker
It's I know that I don't I don't want to even hear what excuses you guys have about that.
00:02:21
Speaker
It's a different culture or a gender thing or whatever.
00:02:25
Speaker
I don't care.
00:02:26
Speaker
Say hi.
00:02:27
Speaker
Just don't make it.
00:02:28
Speaker
It's more awkward.
00:02:29
Speaker
Everybody's like standing quietly in the elevator.
00:02:33
Speaker
What are we as humans if we can't just say hi to people?
00:02:37
Speaker
You know, it doesn't take much.
00:02:39
Speaker
Doesn't take anything away from you.
00:02:42
Speaker
It might burn a few calories.
00:02:43
Speaker
Open your mouth.
00:02:44
Speaker
Use it.
00:02:45
Speaker
Gain some confidence.
00:02:47
Speaker
All I see are positives, people.
00:02:49
Speaker
It's not a single good reason not to do that.
00:02:52
Speaker
So thank me when you end up making a friend or feeling good in general about yourselves.
00:03:00
Speaker
I bet you will.
00:03:01
Speaker
I bet you will.
00:03:01
Speaker
So try
Challenges of Nationality-based Hiring in the UAE
00:03:02
Speaker
that stuff.
00:03:02
Speaker
And while we're talking about being nice, I can't stop hiring people based on nationality and stuff.
00:03:08
Speaker
And that's such a thing here.
00:03:11
Speaker
I can't believe people openly.
00:03:14
Speaker
This is this is not, you know, I feel bad because the UAE government takes a lot of steps to make this place a good place.
00:03:22
Speaker
The Dubai is so progressive.
00:03:24
Speaker
And yet it's the private sector that keeps fighting that shit.
00:03:28
Speaker
by putting up ads.
00:03:29
Speaker
I can't believe you guys have the audacity to put up ads going Western native English speaking person only.
00:03:39
Speaker
At least that's a nice way of putting it.
00:03:40
Speaker
Some other nationalities are a bit more blunt.
00:03:43
Speaker
Indian wanted, Lebanese wanted.
00:03:46
Speaker
But I like the Western native speaking.
00:03:49
Speaker
It's code for white.
00:03:51
Speaker
We want a white person.
00:03:54
Speaker
It's bizarre.
00:03:55
Speaker
How do you guys get away?
00:03:56
Speaker
How do you sleep at night knowing you're doing that shit, people?
00:04:00
Speaker
How do you sleep at night knowing you're ruining people's making it hard for good people to find jobs?
00:04:07
Speaker
Huh?
00:04:08
Speaker
How do you sleep at night?
00:04:09
Speaker
I bet you sleep well because you don't care.
00:04:12
Speaker
And when you don't care, that's where the government should step in and stop that kind of stuff from happening.
00:04:17
Speaker
It affects the economy.
00:04:19
Speaker
It affects the workplace morale.
00:04:22
Speaker
I'm not even going to go into the salary discrepancies that we all have.
00:04:27
Speaker
You know, that's another joke and another podcast to be had at some point.
00:04:32
Speaker
But today, I can't like stop doing that nationality.
00:04:36
Speaker
I know you want to support your people, culture, whatever, but just just be a bit more fit.
00:04:41
Speaker
You know what will make you look good by being a fair person?
00:04:44
Speaker
You don't make your nationality look good by doing that crap.
00:04:48
Speaker
And before you guys, some of you, I know what you're thinking.
00:04:50
Speaker
Some of you guys are thinking, oh, but what about localization?
00:04:54
Speaker
Salman, do you have guts to talk about that?
00:04:56
Speaker
You know what localization is about?
00:04:58
Speaker
It's about correcting.
00:04:59
Speaker
Correcting the problem you guys have created.
00:05:02
Speaker
If you were hiring in a fair manner, you wouldn't need localization.
00:05:08
Speaker
Localization is trying to help a minority in their own country.
00:05:12
Speaker
I'm not pandering to someone out of fear or whatever.
00:05:15
Speaker
I've had a lot of thought about it.
00:05:17
Speaker
I have a background in HR and I've worked on amortization programs.
00:05:22
Speaker
And there are loads of these young, talented people that want to get out and find jobs, except we stand with our stereotypes and try to knock them down.
00:05:31
Speaker
So all minorities in some way,
00:05:33
Speaker
We're suffering because you don't hire based on fair practices.
00:05:38
Speaker
And a lot of corrective measures have to be taken.
00:05:42
Speaker
I think localization is one element of it.
00:05:45
Speaker
It shouldn't scare anyone.
00:05:47
Speaker
But I'm talking about the rest of us coming in and putting these things.
00:05:51
Speaker
You see it on
Breaking Down Societal Barriers Through Friendship
00:05:52
Speaker
housing.
00:05:52
Speaker
Like I want to only Filipinos only.
00:05:55
Speaker
Indians only, Pakistanis only.
00:05:58
Speaker
What kind of bullshit?
00:06:00
Speaker
I know.
00:06:01
Speaker
I've had people defend that.
00:06:02
Speaker
Oh, but you know the culture and blah, blah, blah.
00:06:04
Speaker
I think the more you try to keep away from each other and just be different people, the harder it gets to get along at all.
00:06:14
Speaker
You got to mix with people.
00:06:15
Speaker
So if you look around your friend circle and if you find yourself surrounded by the same nationality, same type of people, try something different.
00:06:23
Speaker
You know, get out, make a friend, like try to, you know, we call ourselves multinational, a mixed community here.
00:06:31
Speaker
But the truth is we're all in silos and we got to break through that stuff.
00:06:34
Speaker
You got to try becoming friends with different nationalities.
00:06:39
Speaker
It'll enrich you.
00:06:40
Speaker
That's your second tip of feeling good today.
00:06:44
Speaker
All right?
00:06:44
Speaker
Communicate.
00:06:46
Speaker
Community that communicates.
00:06:49
Speaker
That's my slogan for this podcast.
00:06:51
Speaker
So become one and bring that out into everything you do.
00:06:55
Speaker
All right?
00:06:56
Speaker
Sometimes it's not easy.
00:06:57
Speaker
I get it.
00:06:57
Speaker
I get it.
00:06:58
Speaker
Sometimes it's...
00:06:59
Speaker
You know, you want to eat your own food.
00:07:01
Speaker
It's what your mom made for you.
00:07:02
Speaker
So there's an emotional tag to it.
00:07:04
Speaker
I get that stuff.
00:07:05
Speaker
But if we act on our worst side of things, like worst elements, then how will you grow as a person?
00:07:13
Speaker
How will this place become a better place?
00:07:16
Speaker
Oh, my God.
00:07:16
Speaker
It sounds like I'm going to break into a song like, heal the world, make it a better place.
00:07:24
Speaker
That's what I grew up on.
00:07:25
Speaker
That's what I
Fairness in Hiring and Overcoming Bias
00:07:26
Speaker
grew up on.
00:07:26
Speaker
So, you know, this hiring stuff, coming back to work, it really demoralizes people.
00:07:32
Speaker
It's such a sad thing that's happening here.
00:07:35
Speaker
And I think I really, my plea to the Dubai government would be, you guys got to stop this stuff from happening.
00:07:42
Speaker
It's so unfair when they put this stuff down.
00:07:45
Speaker
It's not just nationality, people.
00:07:47
Speaker
People ask for photos.
00:07:48
Speaker
This day and age, people still ask for photos.
00:07:51
Speaker
I was helping a friend fill out an application for him, and they asked for a photo, and I told him, you know what?
00:07:57
Speaker
Don't apply to this place.
00:07:59
Speaker
If this organization is so backward, do you really want to work in this place?
00:08:02
Speaker
That's what you're telling the good candidates.
00:08:05
Speaker
That's why good people leave.
00:08:07
Speaker
Photo.
00:08:08
Speaker
Put your photo on your... What the hell?
00:08:10
Speaker
Are you hiring me for being a model?
00:08:12
Speaker
No, man.
00:08:13
Speaker
You're going to put me in a freaking cubicle and I'll be stuck in a corner on a laptop.
00:08:18
Speaker
You don't need my photo.
00:08:19
Speaker
I don't need to be good looking for it.
00:08:22
Speaker
Shit.
00:08:24
Speaker
photo i've seen photos nationality age you know all these things in in in a lot of progressive places now you're not even allowed to ask you're not even allowed to put it down on your own resume so it's a block from both ends to try to put those things in between your hiring should be on merit and on skills so so do that you know age are you married what's that got to do
00:08:48
Speaker
Create a problem for genders?
00:08:50
Speaker
Oh, I've heard people say that kind of stuff here.
00:08:53
Speaker
Oh, but she's married.
00:08:54
Speaker
She'll get pregnant and then we'll have to give her matrimonial leave.
00:08:58
Speaker
No, not matrimonial.
00:08:59
Speaker
Sorry, not matrimonial.
00:09:01
Speaker
What is it?
00:09:03
Speaker
Maternity leave.
00:09:04
Speaker
That's the word I'm looking for.
00:09:06
Speaker
Dad brain.
00:09:07
Speaker
Not dead brain, dad brain.
00:09:08
Speaker
It's a whole different thing.
00:09:09
Speaker
Parents will understand.
00:09:10
Speaker
But they say stuff like that and you got to fight, you know, people will have prejudice and whatnot.
00:09:16
Speaker
So you got to fight it through laws and calling it out if it happens in front of you.
00:09:22
Speaker
You know, stuff shouldn't matter.
00:09:25
Speaker
There was some statement in the newspaper about gender equality and pay.
00:09:29
Speaker
And they were like, oh, the MENA region will take 150 years to correct.
00:09:33
Speaker
150 years?
00:09:35
Speaker
No, no.
00:09:36
Speaker
Just pass some strong laws and know that, you know, whether you're a female or a minority or whoever, you know,
00:09:45
Speaker
We're all really just battling to make the workplace, the hiring process, the pay process a fair thing.
00:09:53
Speaker
So it's a fight for fairness and if everything was fair then no one would have a problem.
00:09:58
Speaker
That's what we're looking for, fairness.
00:10:00
Speaker
The government can only do so much.
00:10:03
Speaker
It's up to us, private companies and civilians and whatnot.
00:10:06
Speaker
You got to do your bit.
00:10:07
Speaker
You got to stop these things.
00:10:08
Speaker
You got to call it out when people say that stuff.
00:10:11
Speaker
You got to call it out.
00:10:13
Speaker
So kind of a personal thing as well.
00:10:15
Speaker
I've had issues here.
00:10:17
Speaker
I've been in the corporate world here and I've felt it.
00:10:22
Speaker
Sometimes I tell myself I don't want to be overly sensitive or make excuses if I didn't get a promotion or didn't get called back.
00:10:29
Speaker
But you ask enough people and you know there's some truth to it.
00:10:33
Speaker
Yeah, you still push ahead, but it's really painful when you're the one going through it.
00:10:39
Speaker
So that affects you in the corporate world, really demoralizes people.
00:10:43
Speaker
And then I get it in the corporate world.
00:10:46
Speaker
I've even had it in the comedy world out here.
00:10:48
Speaker
It's bizarre.
00:10:49
Speaker
Companies will be like, oh, no, we want to hire that national.
00:10:52
Speaker
I get it if it's a language thing and you want to hire a certain language.
00:10:55
Speaker
I get that somewhat.
00:10:57
Speaker
But the truth is you're mixed nationalities in most companies.
00:11:00
Speaker
So I call bullshit on it secretly.
00:11:02
Speaker
But I've had people say, use that nationality in this pub in Dubai, in Sports City, refused to hire me as a quiz master because, and they outright said it, not to my face, but to the event manager, that event company, said, we need a white guy, a white guy, because they do it so much better.
00:11:23
Speaker
Hey, man, I've done my IELTS and I scored a nine on everything.
00:11:27
Speaker
Well, now I got an 8.5 on a couple of things.
00:11:29
Speaker
But, you know, I know how to communicate in English.
00:11:33
Speaker
I know how to connect with people.
00:11:35
Speaker
This is my profession.
00:11:37
Speaker
White guy.
00:11:38
Speaker
We need a white person, please.
00:11:41
Speaker
That's what they said.
00:11:42
Speaker
The irony, the manager was Indian.
00:11:46
Speaker
Oh, that's not the only time I've had lots of stand up gigs, you know, refuse because I'm not a certain nationality or whatever.
00:11:53
Speaker
It's just like, come on, man.
00:11:57
Speaker
Come on.
00:11:57
Speaker
Get that stuff sorted.
00:11:59
Speaker
You don't have to hire a nationality.
00:12:02
Speaker
Hire on merit.
00:12:03
Speaker
If you're hiring a comic, if they're funny, you find them funny, bring them in.
00:12:07
Speaker
If you don't find them funny, don't hire them.
00:12:09
Speaker
It's that simple.
00:12:10
Speaker
Then you apply the same rule to all jobs, all roles.
00:12:14
Speaker
Okay?
00:12:15
Speaker
And once everything's fair, no one will be complaining.
00:12:18
Speaker
All right?
00:12:19
Speaker
The only ones complaining then will be the very privileged people who don't want to do anything.
00:12:26
Speaker
We got to sort that out.
00:12:27
Speaker
All right?
Conclusion: A Call for Positive Change
00:12:28
Speaker
So I just can't get over when it's in comedy.
00:12:32
Speaker
Bizarre.
00:12:33
Speaker
We need a comedy comic from this nationality, please.
00:12:36
Speaker
What?
00:12:37
Speaker
What the hell are you talking about?
00:12:38
Speaker
Anyway, so that's a little bit straight up this episode.
00:12:44
Speaker
If you don't hear back from me, someone might have got angry about some troop bombs that I've dropped in this one.
00:12:51
Speaker
But I hope it changes you for the better.
00:12:53
Speaker
Everything I said on this episode, I mean it.
00:12:57
Speaker
I mean it to be constructive criticism.
00:12:59
Speaker
I mean it to be something we can all get better at.
00:13:02
Speaker
I mean it so that this place gets better because no matter what anyone says, I've spent, what?
00:13:08
Speaker
20 years here in Dubai and it's home for me.
00:13:11
Speaker
All right.
00:13:11
Speaker
So I care about this place and I don't like people coming in and, you know, ruining what's trying to, you know, bringing in crap.
00:13:20
Speaker
That's what I think.
00:13:22
Speaker
I think we all got to do better.
00:13:24
Speaker
Okay.
00:13:25
Speaker
Hope you guys have a good day.
00:13:27
Speaker
I'm a peace out now.
00:13:29
Speaker
Yeah, that's right.
00:13:30
Speaker
I'm down with the kids.
00:13:32
Speaker
I don't know.
00:13:32
Speaker
Is that a thing?
00:13:33
Speaker
Do people still say that?
00:13:34
Speaker
All right, cool.
00:13:35
Speaker
This was fun.
00:13:37
Speaker
Have a good one, guys, and good luck.