The investment banking company is accused of interviewing 'diverse' candidates despite little or no intention of hiring them
JPMorgan Chase is facing a class action lawsuit for allegedly engaging in performative diversity practices by interviewing Black candidates for senior roles despite little or no genuine intent to hire them.
The class action lawsuit was brought by a Black banking executive with more than two decades of leadership experience, who alleged he was the subject of a "fake" interview by JPMorgan Chase.
"Fake interviews occur when a company wants to appear to honour diversity but does not have a genuine commitment to diversity," the lawsuit reads.
"Just like Chase's stated practice, a company will interview a 'diverse' candidate (either an internal or external candidate), including a Black candidate, but will have little or no intention to hire that person."
These practices hurt Black candidates, according to the lawsuit, which cites the "enormous amount" of time and energy candidates spend studying and preparing for interviews where there is little or no intention of hiring them.
'Fake interview' at JPMorgan Chase
In the plaintiff's experience, the recruiter allegedly told the executive that he was Chase's "first priority for contact," and that the hiring manager was eager to meet him.
The executive was not asked to submit an application or a résumé and faced two rounds of interviews, which he described as "cold." He also alleged that the interviewers did not take any notes, or ask follow-up questions, and appeared uninterested.
"The one-sided nature of this interview confirmed what the [plaintiff] had already suspected: Chase never considered [the plaintiff] for the position," the lawsuit reads.
The executive later received an email that, despite positive feedback on his interviews, Chase would be "prioritising other candidates" who led regions similar in complexity and scale to the Michigan region.
The executive, however, pointed out in the lawsuit that he was "passed on in favour of a white man" and an internal candidate who had less experience than him.
"Chase's treatment of [the plaintiff] appears to be part of an insidious practice of fake interviews," the lawsuit said.
The executive is now seeking to recover punitive damages from Chase for the alleged racial discrimination, saying that he and others who had a similar experience suffered emotional and mental distress, embarrassment and humiliation, loss of enjoyment of life, inconvenience, and other non-pecuniary losses.
