by Race in the Workplace special correspondent Erica Mauter

What Do Aks and Wiff Say About You? - DiversityInc.com
“When I’m interviewing professional candidates for organization-critical, high-visibility positions, I expect those interactions to be dynamic and of the highest caliber (and that includes articulation and enunciation). Why, then, am I no longer surprised when an applicant I can tell to be black (by name, alma mater, associations listed on the résumé, or–believe it or not–voice/use-of-voice) says the dreaded ‘aks’ instead of ‘ask’? Or ‘wiff’ instead of ‘with’? … I usually find myself wanting to give these candidates some constructive feedback, to turn them on to the consequences of this foolish behavior of slaughtering the English language. These behaviors perpetuate stereotypes and fuel the undying flames of racism in ‘corporate America.’ I feel privileged holding open a door of opportunity for so many people, and I’m saddened when I have to block the entrance because so many people think it’s ‘cool’ or acceptable to sound stupid.” Also, reader feedback.

Learning From a Demotion - On the Job
“Let the boss know that you’re interested in focusing on the problems and fixing them. It could be the boss will tell you that it’s merely industry restructuring, and it’s happening throughout the company. In that case, you need to consider your future job security not only with your current employer, but within the industry.”

male and female bosses judged differently? - Ask a Manager
“If I have to be seen as either the bitch who gets things done or the pushover who doesn’t, I’ll take ‘bitch who gets things done.’ It’s infuriating that it has to be a choice, of course; I doubt many men are out there worrying that they’re seen as insufficiently sweet.”

Why don’t they fire her? - The Career Encouragement Blog
In response to “10 Reasons Bad Employees Don’t Get Fired”: “Managers cannot address every single problem at once. Their primary focus is always to grow the business in order to project the jobs of the majority. They will deal with problem employees as they have the impetus and time. Therefore there have ALWAYS been problem employees in every workplace, and there always will be in the future.”

Social workers, teachers and nurses: the new “it” careers for women? - Employee Evolution
“People are pursuing them because they are meaningful jobs, because they have a passion for helping people, and because they are rewarding. And honestly, what else can you ask for from a job? My questions now are, why are an overwhelmingly large percentage of women pursuing these paths? Are we going back to a society where men are expected to bring in the money, not because women are staying home, but because women are pursuing the truly rewarding and important careers? Or is my town just an anomaly?”

Subtle Ways to Help Avoid the Mommy-Track - The Juggle
The Juggle’s writers suggest keeping the baby talk and child-related discussions over the phone to a minimum and generally avoiding any indication of actually having children at home. Heated discussion in the comments.

Careers Give India’s Women New Independence - New York Times
“The changes are sharpest in the lives of women who have found a footing in the new economy and who are for the most part middle-class, college-educated professionals exploring jobs that simply did not exist a generation ago. High-technology workers and fashion designers, aerobics instructors and radio D.J.’s, these women in their 20s are living independently for the first time, far from their families. Many are deferring marriage for a year or two, maybe more, while they make money and live lives that most of their mothers could not have dreamed of. ” (via Workplace Prof Blog)

Surviving the First Week in a New Job - Employment Digest
“Your first week in a new job is prone to be the only time during which you can observe the working environment with true clarity and objectivity. Use this period before you’re fully integrated into the culture to observe your colleagues and the culture without emotional involvement or subjectivity.”

30 Interview Questions You Can’t Ask and 30 Sneaky, Legal Alternatives to Get the Same Info - HR World
This is about protecting yourself from a lawsuit. Many questions are easily re-worded. The suggested ways to ask these questions pointedly focus on a candidate’s ability to perform the job. It’s been my experience that interviewers will still infer and assume quite a bit. (via Gautam Ghosh)

Recommended Reading is a weekly feature where we link to some of our favorite workplace-related blog posts and articles. If you would like to suggest a link to Erica, please email tips@raceintheworkplace.com