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Take Action - Critical Race Theory in Hiring

  • Writer: Alston Rousseau
    Alston Rousseau
  • Apr 1
  • 5 min read

Updated: May 4

What One Rogue Hiring Manager Can Achieve.


Across America, DEI funding is shrinking. Organizations are quietly stripping away diversity initiatives, and federal actions are emboldening discriminatory practices. But as individual hiring managers, we still have power—perhaps more than we realize. When institutional support falters, how can one person create meaningful change? One of the most impactful methods I've personally implemented is ensuring at least two minority candidates are included in finalist hiring pools.

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🔍 The Power of "Two in the Pool"


Research clearly demonstrates that when there's only one minority candidate in a hiring pool, their odds of selection drop to nearly zero. However, when at least two minority candidates make the final round, the likelihood of hiring a minority candidate dramatically improves (Johnson, Hekman, & Chan, 2016). This tactic isn't simply about fairness but disrupting entrenched biases.


But before we get to changing hiring practices, let's discuss why we need to address hiring practices to create meritocracy:


💡 Bridging CRT and Hiring: Challenging the Myth of Meritocracy


One of the most common criticisms of DEI efforts—especially hiring strategies like Two in the Pool—is that they "disenfranchise" white candidates or compromise "true meritocracy.” However, let us unpack that. Who gets to define what counts as merit? Who built the systems that determine what success looks like?


Critical Race Theory (CRT) helps us answer those questions. CRT teaches that racism is not merely about individual prejudice but is structurally embedded in laws, policies, and everyday practices—including hiring. It challenges the notion that systems are inherently fair or neutral. As legal scholars Delgado and Stefancic (2017) argue, the very definition of "qualified" is often shaped by white, male, heteronormative standards—leaving others out by design, not by accident.


Hiring is not a vacuum. It happens inside workplaces that reflect a society steeped in centuries of exclusion. When a hiring panel unconsciously assumes that a Black woman is "less polished" or a Latina engineer is "not a cultural fit," that is not a meritocracy—it is a bias cloaked in professionalism. Moreover, when only one woman or person of color is in a finalist pool, they are statistically less likely to be hired. That is not fairness—it is a rigged status quo.


💬 Here is a quick review of Critical Race Theory (CRT)


Critical Race Theory (CRT) helps us understand why this works:


🚩 CRT Insight 1: Challenging the Myth of Meritocracy

CRT exposes the myth that hiring decisions are purely merit-based. Qualifications and "fit" often align with white, male norms (Delgado & Stefancic, 2017). By intentionally altering the composition of finalist pools, we disrupt this biased "norm."

🚧 CRT Insight 2: Disrupting Whiteness as Property

"Whiteness as property" (Harris, 1993) describes how advantages in hiring decisions are guarded as if they were property. By ensuring at least two minority candidates reach the final hiring stage, we directly challenge these hidden gatekeeping practices.

⚡ CRT Insight 3: Interest Convergence

Progress on racial diversity typically occurs only when it aligns with the interests of those in power (Bell, 1980). Leveraging CRT, the "two in the pool" approach aligns equitable hiring with organizational goals—such as innovation and brand reputation—making sustained progress possible.

🌐 CRT Insight 4: Intersectionality Matters

Kimberlé Crenshaw’s (1989) intersectionality highlights the compounded disadvantage women of color face. Ensuring diverse finalist pools helps break through this compounding discrimination, creating opportunities that single-token candidates often don't experience.


Here is where "Two in the Pool" comes in. This intervention is not about disadvantaging white candidates but about disrupting default patterns of exclusion. When two or more candidates from underrepresented backgrounds are included in the finalist pool, the perception of who is "qualified" starts to expand. The bias is still there—but it is challenged by the simple presence of more than one "outsider."


🚀 Real-World Impact at Anthem and Campspot


As a hiring manager, I've seen this approach work firsthand:


  • Anthem (2019–2021): I independently implemented this approach without direct HR involvement. I hired 8 team members in two years, significantly increasing diversity within our DevOps teams. My team gained fresh perspectives and increased innovation without compromising on talent.

  • Campspot (2021): Leadership scholar Peter Northouse emphasizes that effective leadership actively dismantles structural barriers to inclusion. At Campspot, my collaboration with the Director of HR reflected Northouse's concept of inclusive leadership, illustrating how intentional partnerships and a clear leadership vision can enhance diversity outcomes—even when broader institutional support is limited. We successfully hired 10 diverse candidates in just 10 months, transforming the makeup of our technology teams.


📈 Quantifying Success


  • At Anthem, around 62% of new hires over two years came from traditionally underrepresented backgrounds.

  • At Campspot, 70% of new hires in just ten months came from diverse backgrounds, showcasing rapid transformation.


These improvements were equitable and strategic, as diverse teams consistently showed greater innovation and problem-solving capabilities (Formanowicz & Sczesny, 2017).


🧠 Research confirms this shift: Johnson et al. (2016) found that highly structured hiring practices, especially when paired with diverse finalist pools, significantly improve hiring outcomes for women and candidates of color without harming white applicants.


🛠️ Implementing "Two in the Pool" Yourself


1. Advocate Early: Push recruiters and talent sources to diversify initial candidate pools.

2. Revise Job Descriptions: Remove biased language using tools like Gender Decoder.

3. Measure Outcomes: Document the diversity of applicant pools and hires to demonstrate effectiveness.


🎯 That's the power of CRT—it moves us beyond the illusion of fairness and forces us to confront who the system was built to serve. In this case, “Two in the Pool” doesn't just change a number—it changes the narrative.


🔁 TL;DR: DEI ≠ Anti-White. It’s Anti-Exclusion.


Critics of DEI often fear loss—loss of opportunity, influence, and "earned" rewards. However, DEI strategies like Two in the Pool offer not exclusion but expansion. We're not kicking anyone out; we're inviting more people in.


Moreover, when the process is fairer, the outcomes are better—for everyone.


When institutions falter, individual hiring managers can still make a difference. "Two in the pool" is not just good practice—it is a powerful act of resistance against systemic bias, proving we do not have to wait for sweeping reforms to begin creating equitable teams today.




📚 References (APA 7th edition)




 
 
 

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© 2025 by Guerrilla DEI. -  Disclaimer: The author does not speak for any other author, organization, employer, or corporation, past or present and recognizes the privilege this affords him. He received no remuneration for this work. He also believes that white Americans, including himself, have a moral obligation to denounce the modern American government's deliberate cruelty, racism, and fascism—whether in Congress or the White House—if American democracy is to endure.

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