hiring person inappropriate?

[wolf9653]

K folks. brain picking time. I got called for an interview a few days ago. The guy was kind of dry and hard to read. i guess that's just how he is. I got called for a second interview with the unit manager. as we talked, her voice got quieter and quieter. so I kept turning up my hearing aids with the remote in my pocket. they really can't ask about them, but they're kind of hard to hide, and i was thinking maybe she's 'testing' me. now i'm debating dropping it or pushing it. she'd probably deny it. I'm tempted to call back the HR guy and saying hey, you better talk to that woman about the interview, she's a walking lawsuit. and let him figure it out on his own. which blows my chance of getting a job. Dropping a letter to the CEO, or the mega parent co, explaining the situation. which would probably get me a job to ward off a lawsuit. but i don't want it like that.. or just dropping it and seeing what happens. I doubt she'd hire me if that's how she is anyway, and i'm not sure I'd like to work with someone like that. maybe I'm imagining things, but i don't think so. I did have to keep increasing the volume, that much I didn't imagine. I've been doing this for 20 yr, and been tested the same as any other person to get my license, so it doesn't affect my work, which is undeniable, or i wouldn't have a licence.

i think he didn't care, but she thinks she's too smart.

I'v ben hearing this joke ''

since kindergarten.

[macenroe]

I always try to give people "the benefit of the doubt", but that's just me. Only you know what kind of vibes you were getting from her, and whether they seemed malicious or not. I have a slight hearing problem, as well. Nothing that has ever required a hearing aid, but one that did require a speech therapist, when I was very young. I never really think about it too much, and it's never been an issue in any of the places that I have ever worked. Probably most people don't even know.

Some folks have naturally quiet voices, and maybe this was the case with the unit manager. Or, she could have a hearing problem, as well. It's a possibility. This happens a lot with folks that are hard of hearing. I am speaking from experience. I had a tendency to talk too loud when I was kid, until it was pointed out to me by several people. Then I went the other way, and spoke too softly and mumbled my way through conversations. Hopefully, I now have a "happy medium".

Whenever I am in these situations, where I can't hear someone clearly, I simply ask them to repeat the question. I also "lip read" a lot, which helps. The only down side is, that I am always worried that folks will think that I am staring at them.

I too have applied for jobs, over the years, that I didn't get. I have also had interviews that I felt didn't go as well as I hoped. However, I didn't automatically assume it was because of my hearing. I just chalked it up to a good learning experience. I wish you the best of luck with your job search. Your credentials will speak for themselves, and prospective employers will be able to see that, and realize that you are quite capable for the job.

[klone, MSN, RN]

If your hearing aids are obvious, what would be the point of "testing you" to see if you're hard of hearing?

[Been there,done that, ASN, RN]

Don't do anything until your anger subsides. Apparently, the manager was "testing " your level of hearing impairment because as you know ,it's not legal to ask. Not real subtle , but not illegal.

" Dropping a letter to the CEO, or the mega parent co, explaining the situation. which would probably get me a job to ward off a lawsuit. "... is a concern.. do you REALLY think you could get a position this way? Your hearing impairment and insensitive managers does not warrant a lawsuit here.

Let's assume you passed the not- so -subtle hearing test... would you want to work there?

[wolf9653]

thanks folks. no I would not want a position that way. while on one hand, it paves the way for the next guy, since I'm sure she'd be talked to. I'd rather have a job based on my merits. OTOH if my merits are diminished by their prejudice, they should be equalized so that the merits are taken on their level. It would also say something about a suboptimal corporate culture.

[chare]

Actually, there are times in which an employer can ask about a known disability. From the Job Applicants and the Americans with Disabilities Act:

15. May an employer ask applicants on an application form or during an interview whether they will need reasonable accommodation to perform the job?

Generally, no. An employer cannot ask all applicants whether they would need reasonable accommodation to perform a job because the answer to this question is likely to reveal whether an applicant has a disability.

However, if the employer knows that an applicant has a disability, and it is reasonable to question whether the disability might pose difficulties for the individual in performing a specific job task, then the employer may ask whether she would need reasonable accommodation to perform that task. An employer might know that an applicant has a disability because it is obvious or she has voluntarily revealed the existence of one. If the applicant indicates that accommodation will be necessary, then the employer may ask what accommodation is needed.

If this was the intent, it definitely was handled poorly as this was a most unprofessional way to do this.

[RNKPCE]

If you weren't hard of hearing and using hearing aids would you have felt she was still testing you? I know at times when talking to someone at work I've had to increase the volume on the phone because for some reason the volume changes and I can't hear them. Sometimes more is read into things than really is warranted.

[Altra, BSN, RN]

Hearing in the normal range, whether natural ability or augmented by hearing aids, is most definitely a reasonable qualification of a nurse. She was well within boundaries to investigate that, though she appears to have done it in a tactless way.

So call off the phone calls and the lawyer preparing the lawsuit -- all applicants need to demonstrate that they possess the necessary qualifications for the job.

[LadyFree28, BSN, LPN, RN]

Hearing in the normal range, whether natural ability or augmented by hearing aids, is most definitely a reasonable qualification of a nurse. She was well within boundaries to investigate that, though she appears to have done it in a tactless way.

So call off the phone calls and the lawyer preparing the lawsuit -- all applicants need to demonstrate that they possess the necessary qualifications for the job.

I agree with this...on the other hand, maybe there wasn't a test at all...who knows?

[Mr. Murse]

I really doubt any litigious pursuits would amount to much more than a pain in everyone's butt, and money out of your pocket. I say this primarily because there is absolutely no proof, from what you've said. Your word against theirs. Then it would just be matter of whether or not you got involved with legal personnel who felt sympathetic to your cause or not. Doesn't sound like it's worth pursuing to me.

Furthermore, you don't even seem sure that she was actually intentionally testing you. Seems unlikely to me. Not impossible, but unlikely. In which case, you'd be raising a bunch of hell for nothing at all.

Either way, there's no way to tell for sure what was really going on at this point, letting it go seems like the best path. On a more personal note, I work with a young nurse who wears hearing aids and is as competent at her job as anyone else. Most people who have been around for any amount of time don't think twice about it until it becomes a problem.

[amoLucia]

Any chance that there was just a poor phone connection or that the UM had a cheapo phone?

[wolf9653]

It was face to face.