The Job Market Isn’t a Meritocracy. Maybe We Should Stop Pretending It Is.

What happens when someone questions a decision made by a senior leader? What happens when an employee identifies a harmful pattern, challenges a broken process, or points out that the culture people are experiencing does not match the culture being advertised?

I've been thinking a lot about why we care so much about these things in the first place. Some of it comes down to familiarity. We tend to label behaviors that match what we’ve been taught to expect as professional, and behaviors that deviate from those expectations as something else. Difficult. Disengaged. Not executive enough. Not polished. Not a culture fit. Unprofessional. Those words can sound objective when they’re anything but.

There is a strange assumption built into hiring that we rarely stop to question...

The point isn’t to question everything. It’s to recognize which questions are worth asking before time, money, or opportunity is lost. Thoughtful questions can clarify expectations, expose risks, and help teams make better decisions.

I wish I could tell you those conversations no longer happen. They do. Blatant discrimination and bias still exist.