Toward Equitable & Inclusive Meetings

Explanations & Resources

*This content may be offensive to the course audience as it references harmful

stereotypes related to personal identity. You may choose to skip this activity if you think
it may cause you harm.*

SCRIPT PURPOSE & OVERVIEW

The purpose of this script is to present a fictionalized set of events that illustrates the types of
biases that influence hiring decisions.

In the script, you will be introduced to four C-suite executives who are evaluating candidates for
a VP of Finance position. Candidates are male and female and of different races and ethnicities.
Each executive’s personal biases related to gender, race, parental status, etc. will be revealed
over the course of the discussion.

The hiring meeting is occurring virtually using video conferencing software and is spread across
five acts.

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Complete an initial read-through of the hiring meeting script.

2. Choose one act to re-read. Try to spot all the harmful behaviors exhibited. Some of them
will be more obvious than others and some are repeated.
3. Take time to consider the IDENTIFY & REFLECT questions presented at the end of the act.
4. Now, open the Answer Key PDF and review the explanations and resources provided.
5. [OPTIONAL] If you choose, post a reflection in the discussion prompt following this
activity.

In the answer key sections, you’ll find that microaggressions are labeled using [brackets].

C-Suite Executives:

● Michael, CEO -- Michael is a 60 year-old white man

● Ellen, CFO -- Ellen is a 53 year-old white woman
● James, COO -- James is a 46 year-old Asian American man
● Marcus, CMO -- Marcus is a 48 year-old Black man
ACT 1

Michael: Hey, guys. Thanks for making time to hop on this call to discuss the selection of our
new VP of Finance. We have an impressive group of candidates, so I’m sure we’re going to have
a tough time making this decision. I’m going to pull up each candidate’s resume and headshot
and then we can share our thoughts based on their resumes and interviews. Let’s get started.
Ellen, can you take notes? Thanks, dear. The first candidate is Ebony Jackson.

Ebony’s resume and professional headshot appear on screen. Ebony is a Black woman with natural
hair that was styled in braids in her headshot.

James: I loved her! She’s whip smart and has been working in finance for decades and has a
great personality. She was also really articulate.

Marcus: I loved that she went to Stanford, my alma mater, but she did have a typo on her
resume. I was shocked her GPA was so high given her evident poor attention to detail.

Michael and Ellen begin talking at the same time. Ellen pauses. Michael does not acknowledge that
Ellen had also begun to speak and continues with his comment.

Michael: Maybe she was an affirmative action admit.

Ellen: Weren’t you a legacy at Stanford? Anyway, I think she’d be a great addition to the
department. She has many years of management experience, her references spoke very highly of
her, and she wasn’t wearing a ring, so she‘s probably single and would be able to put in the long
hours this role requires.

Michael: All good points. But I don’t know if she’d be a “culture fit” with the team.

Marcus: What do you mean?

Michael: There are a lot of men in that department, so we need someone tough and she just
does not look that professional. She seems soft, you know. A little too nice frankly. I would have
expected her to be a little more assertive honestly. Let’s come back to her.

IDENTIFY AND REFLECT

● Considering this scenario, what microaggressions did you spot?
 ● What are the underlying assumptions or stereotypes being communicated in
these statements and/or actions?
● How were microaggressions communicated nonverbally in this scenario?
● If you were a bystander and realized a microaggression had occurred, when and
how would you respond or intervene?
● If you were a perpetrator of microaggressions and someone pointed out how
your statements or actions were inappropriate, when and how would you
respond?

ACT 1 ANSWER KEY

Michael: [Hey, guys.] Thanks for making time to hop on this call to discuss the selection
of our new VP of Finance. We have an impressive group of candidates, so I’m sure we’re
going to have a tough time making this decision. I’m going to pull up each candidate’s
resume and headshot and then we can share our thoughts based on their resumes and
interviews. Let’s get started. [Ellen, can you take notes?] [Thanks, dear.] The first
candidate is Ebony Jackson.

➔ Addressing the group as “guys” when it is a mixed gender group is not inclusive
language, as guys is a masculine word.
➔ Due to gender role stereotypes, women, more than men, are asked to volunteer
for administrative tasks that are not appealing but benefit the group, such as
taking notes and writing reports.
➔ Terms of endearment, such as calling a co-worker “honey,” “dear,” “sweetheart,”
or some similar expression is condescending, and can be a form of sexual
harassment.

Ebony’s resume and professional headshot appear on screen. Ebony is a Black woman with
natural hair that was styled in braids in her headshot.

James: I loved her! She’s whip smart and has been working in finance for decades and
has a great personality. [She was also really articulate.]

➔ Compliments of professionalism about Black, Indigenous, or People of

Color (BIPOC) indicate stereotypical bias that individuals from these
backgrounds are not professional. Referring to a Black person as
“articulate” is a microaggression because the remark suggests that they
assumed the person in question would be less articulate.
Marcus: [I loved that she went to Stanford, my alma mater,] but she did have a typo on
her resume. [I was shocked her GPA was so high given her evident poor attention to
detail. ]

➔ Affinity bias is an example of unconscious bias where people

automatically prefer others who are similar to them. Individuals generally
have a favorable bias towards others who attended the same academic
institution.
➔ In hiring, confirmation bias often plays a detrimental role at the very
beginning of the process when you first review a resume and form an
initial opinion of the candidate based on inconsequential attributes like
their name, where they’re from, where they went to school and so forth.
➔ Unconscious confirmation bias also shows up in the way that people read
written materials, leading people to see more errors (like typos) where
they expect to, and fewer when they do not expect to. If you already have
a negative perception of someone, conscious or otherwise, you may be
looking for confirmation of this, such as a typo being related to GPA
overall.

Michael and Ellen begin talking at the same time. Ellen pauses. [Michael does not
acknowledge that Ellen had also begun to speak and continues with his comment.]

Michael: [Maybe she was an affirmative action admit.]

➔ Nonverbal microaggressions like interrupting or talking over women are

common across fields and especially those where women are
outnumbered, leaving them more vulnerable to gender-based
stereotypes.
➔ Assuming the success of an underrepresented minority is based on
affirmative action is a form of racial bias. It subtly conveys rudeness and
insensitivity and demeans a person's racial heritage or identity.

Ellen: [Weren’t you a legacy at Stanford?] Anyway, I think she’d be a great addition to
the department. She has many years of management experience, her references spoke
very highly of her, and she wasn’t wearing a ring, so [she‘s probably single and would be
able to put in the long hours this role requires.]

➔ Legacy status initiatives at academic institutions are seen as more favorable and
admitted at higher rates even though they are not based in merit.
➔ Motherhood triggers false assumptions that women are less competent and less
committed to their careers. This Maternal Bias is something that women often
face in the workplace and creates barriers to upward mobility. In this instance, it
is assumed that a woman without a family will have more time to commit to the
job.

Michael: All good points. [But I don’t know if she’d be a “culture fit” with the team.]

➔ "Not a culture fit" is language often used during the hiring process to describe
individuals that are unique from others. Usually there is no explanation of how the
individual does not fit the organization's culture, it is based on a feeling.

Marcus: What do you mean?

Michael: [There are a lot of men in that department, so we need someone tough. She
seems soft, you know. A little too nice frankly.]And [she just doesn't look that
professional.] [I would have expected her to be a little more assertive honestly.] Let’s
come back to her.

➔ Women are stereotyped as "being nice" and "not tough" while men are
stereotyped as the opposite. When women are seen as tough in the workplace,
this counter-stereotypical behavior often has a negative connotation, which
causes some to take measures to soften their image.
➔ Natural hair discrimination has a long history in the United States with employers
expressing bias against African Americans with natural hair, arguing that afros,
braids, locs, etc. are unprofessional. Such assumptions are based in anti-Black,
Eurocentric beauty standards and have led to multiple court cases. Recent
victories for natural hair in the workplace and schools have passed in NYC and
California with those courts arguing that natural hair is protected under Title VII
of the Civil Rights Act, which “prohibits employment discrimination based on
race, color, religion, sex and national origin.”
 ➔ Women of color are stereotyped as being aggressive, and that bias can cloud
perceptions of interactions, or cause BIPOC women to resist speaking up in order
to avoid this stereotype.

ACT 2

Michael: How about our second candidate, Jacob Edwards.

Jacob’s resume and professional headshot appear on screen. Jacob is a young Black man.

Marcus: Jacob was my personal favorite. He was a quarterback and captain at Michigan, so you
know he’s a leader and a team player. We talked about his old Wolverine days a lot during the
interview and I am confident that he would be a rockstar here. He’s a family man too, so I’m sure
he knows how to multitask which is important in this role.

Michael: Oh man, and as much as the finance department loves football, I’m sure he’d fit right
in.

Ellen: Wait, so what did you guys talk about during his interview besides football? Did you
discuss the fact that he’s only got five years of finance experience and is applying for a VP role?

James: Yeah, but come on, he’s a football player. Spelling may not have been his strong suit but
winning clearly was, did you see his record at Michigan? I’m sure he’s a fast learner, and can
adapt quickly, we can fill in his learning gaps quickly.

Ellen mouths “what”?

Marcus: Whoa Ellen, no need to be so aggressive.

Michael and James chuckle at Marcus’s comment. Ellen looks embarrassed.

Michael: Okay, it sounds like we’re all fans of Jacob. Let’s move on to the next candidate.

IDENTIFY AND REFLECT

● Considering this scenario, what microaggressions did you spot?
● What are the underlying assumptions or stereotypes being communicated in
these statements and/or actions?
 ● If you were a bystander and realized a microaggression had occurred, when and
how would you respond or intervene?
● If you were a perpetrator of microaggressions and someone pointed out how
your statements or actions were inappropriate, when and how would you
respond?

ACT 2 ANSWER KEY

Michael: How about our second candidate, Jacob Edwards.

Jacob’s resume and professional headshot appear on screen. Jacob is a young Black man.

Marcus: Jacob was my personal favorite. [He was a quarterback and captain at Michigan,
so you know he’s a leader and a team player.] We talked about his old Wolverine days a
lot during the interview and I am confident that he would be a rockstar here. [He’s a
family man too, so I’m sure he knows how to multitask which is important in this role.]

➔ Athletes are looked upon very favorably in the hiring process, usually
assumed to have work ethic, leadership, and teamwork skills. Research shows
that former high-school athletes generally go on to have higher-status
careers than those who didn’t play a sport.
➔ Men with families are often looked upon favorably in the workplace because
they stereotyped as being more grounded and focused.

Michael: Oh man, and [as much as the finance department loves football, I’m sure he’d
fit right in.]

➔ This is an assumption that common extracurricular interests outside of work will help
individuals work well together. This bias causes people to judge those that are
similar to them more favorably.

Ellen: [Wait, so what did you guys talk about during his interview besides football? Did
you discuss the fact that he’s only got five years of finance experience and is applying for
a VP role?]

➔ Interviews without standardized questions or rubrics tend to leave room for varying
levels of rigor for different candidates - often based in implicit biases
 James: Yeah, but come on, he’s a football player. Spelling may not have been his strong
suit but winning clearly was, did you see his record at Michigan? [I’m sure he’s a fast
learner, and can adapt quickly, we can fill in his learning gaps quickly.]

➔ Implicit biases take precedent when interview evaluation processes aren't

standardized. This can lead to less qualified male applicants being favored more
highly by male reviewers. Additionally, men apply for a job when they meet only 60%
of the qualifications, but women apply only if they meet 100% of the qualifications.

Ellen mouths “what”?

Marcus: [Whoa Ellen, no need to be so aggressive.]

➔ Gender stereotypes impact how women are perceived. Negative perceptions are
prevalent when women and men deviate from gender stereotypes and expected
social roles. When women demonstrate the kinds of attributes that are deemed
requisite for effective leadership (e.g., agency) they sometimes elicit penalties for
violating gender role expectations. Results revealed that dominance indeed hurts
women's, relative to men's, likability, as well as more downstream outcomes such as
hireability.

Michael and James chuckle at Marcus’s comment. Ellen looks embarrassed.

Michael: [Okay, it sounds like we’re all fans of Jacob.] Let’s move on to the next
candidate.

➔ Viewpoints of women are often overlooked and ignored in the workplace, even if
they are the most credible source of information. See this link for more on gender
sidelining.

ACT 3

Michael: Let’s see… The next candidate is Rita Lopez.

Rita’s resume and professional headshot appear on screen. Rita is a middle-aged Latina woman.
Ellen: Rita was the strongest in my opinion. She is an Ivy League grad—she went to Yale, is
young and ambitious, and worked in our competitor’s finance department for ten years, so I’m
sure she wouldn’t be difficult to train.

Marcus: Yeah but her lack of experience is what concerns me. I think we need someone who has
spent more time leading finance teams. Also she’s super serious.

Ellen: Yeah, she does seem really serious.

Marcus: I’d hate to see what she’s like around that time of the month.

Michael and James chuckle along with Marcus. Ellen winces.

Ellen: That’s actually really inappropriate…

Marcus: Calm down, it was just a joke…

Michael: I know what you mean, Marcus. I was like wow, I wonder if she ever smiles.

James: Oh yeah and the finance guys love to joke around, so it would be tough for her to fit in
there. Also, I noticed a rainbow sticker on her laptop…

James trails off and the comment hangs in the air. After a brief silence, Michael starts again.

Michael: Sounds like Rita may be at the bottom, sorry Ellen. Okay, on to the last candidate.

IDENTIFY AND REFLECT

● Considering this scenario, what microaggressions did you spot?
● What are the underlying assumptions or stereotypes being communicated in
these statements and/or actions?
● How were microaggressions communicated nonverbally in this scenario?
● If you were a bystander and realized a microaggression had occurred, when and
how would you respond or intervene?
● If you were a perpetrator of microaggressions and someone pointed out how
your statements or actions were inappropriate, when and how would you
respond?
ACT 3 ANSWER KEY

Michael: Let’s see… The next candidate is Rita Lopez.

Rita’s resume and professional headshot appear on screen. Rita is a middle-aged Latina
woman.

Ellen: Rita was the strongest in my opinion. [She is an Ivy League grad—she went to
Yale], is young and ambitious, and worked in our competitor’s finance department for
ten years, so I’m sure she wouldn’t be difficult to train.

➔ This is an assumption that individuals who attend certain academic institutions are
qualified even before proper evaluation.

Marcus: [Yeah but her lack of experience is what concerns me.] I think we need someone
who has spent more time leading finance teams. [Also she’s super serious.]

Ellen: Yeah, [she does seem really serious.]

Marcus: [I’d hate to see what she’s like around that time of the month.]

➔ Certain candidates face more scrutiny during the hiring process based on implicit
bias.
➔ An allusion to a woman's period is a type of gender discrimination.Those in male-
dominated workplaces were found to endure greater levels of period stigma than in
female-dominated organisations.

Michael and James chuckle along with Marcus. Ellen winces.

Ellen: That’s actually really inappropriate…

Marcus: [Calm down, it was just a joke…]

Michael: I know what you mean, Marcus. I was like wow, [I wonder if she ever smiles.]

➔ Telling women to “calm down” or “relax” is a sexist means of disregarding or

discounting their voiced opinions and concerns.
➔ Telling a woman to smile is a sexist microaggression.
James: Oh yeah and the finance guys love to joke around, so [it would be tough for her
to fit in] there. [Also, I noticed a rainbow sticker on her laptop…]

James trails off and the comment hangs in the air. After a brief silence, Michael starts
again.

➔ This comment is an allusion to rainbow being a symbolof the LGBTQ community, and
is an expression of Heterosexism. Heterosexism is the endorsement of beliefs stating
that heterosexuality is the normal and desirable manifestation of sexuality, while
framing other sexual orientations as deviant, inferior, or flawed. (see Habarth, 2013;
Rabelo and Cortina, 2014). Many members of the LGBT communiy report
experiencing employment discrimination in applying for a job because of their sexual
orientation.

Michael: Sounds like Rita may be at the bottom, sorry Ellen. Okay, on to the last
candidate.
ACT 4

Michael: Finally, we have Danny Chen.

Danny’s resume and professional headshot appear on screen. Danny is an older Asian American
man.

Marcus: He is solid all around. He has the education and experience we’re looking for, and his
references all said great things about him. Plus, he is likely good at math. He just didn’t strike
me as a “leader” though. You guys know what I mean?

James: Yeah, seemed kinda weak. The finance team would walk all over him.

Ellen: I don’t get it. What about him is weak?

James: I mean, it’s pretty obvious, but to start, he’s soft spoken and doesn’t really have an
executive presence.

Marcus nods his head in agreement.

Michael: Right, executive presence is key in this role, and he definitely doesn’t have it. And
would we need to sponsor him? I heard a little bit of an accent during his interview.

Ellen: Where is he from?

Marcus: Cincinnati, I think.

Ellen: No, where is he really from? Do you know, James?

James raises his eyebrows and sighs before answering.

James: All I know is that he’s from Cincinnati.

Ellen looks as if she wants to press the issue but stops herself.

Michael: Okay, I think we’ve spent enough time discussing.

IDENTIFY AND REFLECT
● Considering this scenario, what microaggressions did you spot?
● What are the underlying assumptions or stereotypes being communicated in
these statements and/or actions?
● How were microaggressions communicated nonverbally in this scenario?
● If you were a bystander and realized a microaggression had occurred, when and
how would you respond or intervene?
● If you were a perpetrator of microaggressions and someone pointed out how
your statements or actions were inappropriate, when and how would you
respond?

ACT 4 ANSWER KEY

Michael: Finally, we have Danny Chen.

Danny’s resume and professional headshot appear on screen. Danny is an older Asian
American man.

Marcus: He is solid all around. He has the education and experience we’re looking for,
and his references all said great things about him. [Plus, he is likely good at math. He just
didn’t strike me as a “leader” though.] You guys know what I mean?

➔ Asians are often stereotyped as good at math, though this is not an evidence-
based assumption. There can be negative consequences to even seemingly-
positive racial stereotypes.
➔ Asians are stereotyped as being particularly high on competence (they were seen
as successful and intelligent) and low on social skill (nerdy, antisocial).

James: Yeah, seemed kinda weak. The finance team would walk all over him.

Ellen: I don’t get it. What about him is weak?

James: [I mean, it’s pretty obvious], but to start, [he’s soft spoken and doesn’t really have
an executive presence.]

➔ Phrases like “it’s pretty obvious” patronize female colleagues instead of actually
answering their questions. Depending on the context, it may be part of
 “mansplaining” — a condescending, arrogant and entitled response that
demeans women.
➔ There is an inconsistency between Asian stereotypes and the traits people tend to
value in leaders. While business leaders are often expected to be competent,
intelligent, and dedicated, they are also expected to be charismatic and socially
skilled — along with masculine and dictatorial or authoritarian.

Marcus nods his head in agreement.

Michael: Right, executive presence is key in this role, and he definitely doesn’t have it.
[And would we need to sponsor him? I heard a little bit of an accent during his
interview.]

➔ Concerns about sponsorship can be categorized as immigration status

discrimination or citizenship status discrimination.
➔ Accent is a characteristic we routinely use to identify someone as unfamiliar or
foreign. Bias against foreign speech patterns is not universally recognized as a
form of prejudice, but employers may deny jobs to non-native speakers by
arguing that a foreign accent impairs communication skills essential to the
workplace.

Ellen: [Where is he from?]

Marcus: Cincinnati, I think.

Ellen: [No, where is he really from?] Do you know, James?

➔ This line of questioning about where someone is from—and where they’re really
from—while seemingly benign, often implies that one does not see the other
person as belonging to the same community, nation or culture by virtue of their
difference. More precise language asking about ethnicity or ethnic background
can evade this racist microaggression.

James raises his eyebrows and sighs before answering.

James: All I know is that he’s from Cincinnati.

Ellen looks as if she wants to press the issue but stops herself.
 Michael: Okay, I think we’ve spent enough time discussing Danny.

ACT 5

Screensharing stops.

Michael: Based on what I’m hearing, it sounds like Jacob is the clear winner.

Ellen: Wait, but I am really concerned about Jacob’s lack of finance experience. All of the other
candidates are far more qualified for the position.

Michael: But we covered this. Ebony isn’t going to fit in. No matter how qualified she is, if the
team doesn’t like her, it’s not going to work. We need to pay attention to fit.

Ellen: And Danny? I mean he seems like he’d fit in. He’s been working in finance his whole life.

James: Eh but the team won’t respect him, Ellen. He’s not tough enough for people to take him
seriously.

Marcus: Plus he is kind of a dinosaur, I mean he has so so so so much experience! Are you sure
that he would even be interested in an opportunity like this at this point in his career?

Ellen: But the team would respect Rita! I mean she’s even worked for our competitor for a
decade! She not only knows our industry, but she also knows finance.

Michael: But Rita is too serious. There’s gotta be a balance between tough and likeable, and
she’s just tough. Plus, she doesn’t have enough experience. Jacob is the only candidate who
would definitely fit in. And what he lacks in experience, he can learn quickly.

James: He’s the clear pick.

Marcus: Exactly.

Michael: I couldn’t agree more, team.

Ellen tries to interject but is cut off.

Michael: Ellen, we’ve got to wrap up this meeting. I’ll reach out to Jacob with the good news.
Ellen, can you call all of the other candidates and let them down easy? Thanks everyone for your
time, enjoy your weekend.

Ellen: Wait! But!

The team exits leaving Ellen in the Zoom room alone.

IDENTIFY AND REFLECT

● Considering this scenario, what microaggressions did you spot?
● What are the underlying assumptions or stereotypes being communicated in
these statements and/or actions?
● How were microaggressions communicated nonverbally in this scenario?
● If you were a bystander and realized a microaggression had occurred, when and
how would you respond or intervene?
● If you were a perpetrator of microaggressions and someone pointed out how
your statements or actions were inappropriate, when and how would you
respond?

ACT 5 ANSWER KEY

Screensharing stops.

Michael: [Based on what I’m hearing, it sounds like Jacob is the clear winner.]

➔ Gender sidelining causes the viewpoints of women to be often overlooked and

ignored in the workplace, even if they are the most credible source of
information.

Ellen: Wait, but I am really concerned about Jacob’s lack of finance experience. All of the
other candidates are far more qualified for the position.

Michael: But we covered this. Ebony isn’t going to fit in. No matter how qualified she is,
if the team doesn’t like her, it’s not going to work. We need to pay attention to fit.
Ellen: And Danny? I mean he seems like he’d fit in. He’s been working in finance his
whole life.

James: Eh but the team won’t respect him, Ellen. He’s not tough enough for people to
take him seriously.

Marcus: [Plus he is kind of a dinosaur, I mean he has so so so so much experience!] Are

you sure that he would even be interested in an opportunity like this at this point in his
career?

➔ This is a covert allusion to one’s age, and an expression of age bias.

Ellen: But the team would respect Rita! I mean she’s even worked for our competitor for
a decade! She not only knows our industry, but she also knows finance.

Michael: But Rita is too serious. [There’s gotta be a balance between tough and likeable,
and she’s just tough.] Plus, she doesn’t have enough experience. Jacob is the only
candidate who would definitely fit in. And what he lacks in experience, he can learn
quickly.

➔ Women experience a double bind when ascending to leadership positions:

competent and assertive women, who fail to meet the gender role expectation of
being kind and empathetic, tend to be evaluated negatively.

James: He’s the clear pick.

Marcus: Exactly.

Michael: I couldn’t agree more, team.

Ellen tries to interject but is cut off.

Michael: Ellen, we’ve got to wrap up this meeting. I’ll reach out to Jacob with the good
news. Ellen, can you call all of the other candidates and let them down easy? Thanks
everyone for your time, enjoy your weekend.

Ellen: Wait! But!

The team exits leaving Ellen in the Zoom room alone.