Have you ever listened to The Jordan Harbinger Show? It is the amazingly popular podcast by my friend Jordan. After being a guest on his previous podcast and this one we, not surprisingly, developed a friendship. It even led me to write my thoughts about professional friendships, blurring the personal and professional lines in this blog post.
The cool thing is that now I am sort of a “regular” contributor on his Feedback Friday show. He recently sent me a really meaty and politically charged question.
“Is it worth initiating a conversation about how post-Roe reproductive rights fit in with company policy when interviewing for a job in a state that has regressive anti-choice laws on the books?”
First, love the question. Love the activism. I think there is a way to bring up the topic without it being too risky. The difference is whether you bring it up from a policy perspective versus a personal plan.
The company doesn’t necessarily need to know your deep feelings on Knoxville or your politics as a whole, but what you can do is ask what that company does to keep women safe, specifically in terms of benefits. You can also take a broader note by asking about how they have supported or handled activism, either on an individual level of employees or as a company overall.
That can start to get the conversation going and help to get a sense of their positioning without them knowing exactly how you feel. It also keeps alarm bells at bay when you come from a place of curiosity on the topic. They don’t know on which side of the argument you land. Though be prepared that they may ask your view. Have an answer ready.
If working for a company that supports activism is a key factor in your decision, then you will want to take a more direct approach. It depends on if you want them to specifically know what you stand for. If you do, then that’s part of your decision-making criteria and the risk is worth the knowledge. If you need the job, then I would take it more from my policy perspective.
If you want to hear the full question and our response, you can listen to the episode and this question is at 18:30 in.
What would you do?