Sep 11, 2006
Hire based on merit, not on mother tongue
WHILE the article, 'Make fair hiring practices the norm' (ST, Sept
7), states that 173 employers have committed themselves to
hiring on merit, there is still
a lot of work to be done to get to the root of the problem.
An Indian born and brought up here, I have been trying to get a job
for the past three months.
Despite having the relevant work experience and the necessary paper
qualifications, I have not had any luck with my applications.
Wherever I am applying for vacancies, they are looking for
bilingual candidates.
From my understanding of the word bilingual, it means the ability
to speak any two languages. I speak three languages.
However, employers seem to have a different concept of the word
bilingual. For them, bilingual means I must be able to speak
Mandarin.
I am not against certain jobs requiring employees to be able to
speak Mandarin. With China's economy growing steadily, there needs
to be people who can work in China and speak the language. I can
fully understand that.
When I was looking for job vacancies, an advertisement caught my
eye.
It stated: 'US MNC looking for candidates to fill vacancies. Must
be Chinese speaking.'
I guess the Americans too have jumped onto the bilingual
bandwagon.
Head-hunting companies that advertise on the Internet also state
that they want candidates who are able to speak Mandarin. That
means all the Malays and Indians will have to brace themselves for
a tough time ahead.
Recruitment agencies should encourage clients to hire people based
on merit and not on their mother tongue.
I am not the only one who has met with disappointment after
applying for jobs because of this bilingual requirement. Many of my
non-Chinese friends too have been equally frustrated.
I would be glad if any one of the 173 firms could offer me a job,
based on my qualifications and my experience.
Hire me on merit, please.
Stewart Sanjay
