I feel I got more experience than her – not to belittle her. Also I’ve been working for the afterschool care at the same school for the last two years and I know most of the kids there. (S280) Additional barriers were identified, including Pacific names, language, accent and connections. One Pacific construction worker told us “I tried to do some private work as an electrician – I tried to find work, but when someone rings you and recognise your accent, then they put the phone down” (T001). Pacific names can be a barrier Several Pacific workers identified that their names had proved a barrier and relayed examples where they changed their name to a Pākehā name and started getting interviews. A Pacific healthcare worker shared this experience: After postgraduate studies, I applied for so many jobs and I was wondering why I have been declined so many times, and then I changed my name to a Palagi name and I got a job. This has indicated to me the need to change the system, as to me it was racism. Just because I have a beautiful Tongan name does not mean I can’t do the work equally or better than my European counterpart. (S110) One Pacific key informant told us about a young woman who had experienced exclusion via online methods as well as traditional methods: This young woman, she said, “There’s no point in going through Seek and the normal mainstream ways of recruiting because they never look at them.” Their names are different and unpronounceable, and they’re from South Auckland or from Timbuktu, so they don’t get a chance. (T002) Several Pacific workers across multiple sectors told us about situations where other people, particularly Pākehā, were selected for roles over them, which they perceived to be due to their Pacific names and ethnicity. A Pacific social services worker told us “sometimes I feel discriminated against because I am Samoan” (S502). One Pacific government worker commented that “recruiters tend to overlook people due to their names” (S623), while a Pacific health worker shared that she was “judged by my last name. I changed it to my mum’s Palagi maiden name and got many calls. Before that, I hardly received any contact from recruiters.” (S130). Pacific peoples experience discrimination not only when searching for a job but also once they have secured an interview. In many cases, potential employers on the interview panels were responsible for the discriminatory behaviour against Pacific workers. A Pacific public sector worker shared the following story: I had both positive and negative experiences. Positive is that I would get shortlisted for job opportunities as my name does not reflect my ethnicity until they meet me in person. I have had employers say to me that they envisaged someone of a European descent. (S695) While Pacific workers could use strategies like changing their names, they then had to contend with other concerns when granted an interview, including recruiter expectations and low pay offers. Securing an interview is only the first step, as one Pacific worker described: It’s been OK but I’ve always worried about how my name would come across and my skin colour if I ever secured an interview. (S355) Qualifications and work experience are undervalued Several Pacific workers shared experiences of being offered roles that were below their skill sets. This group included Pacific workers with tertiary qualifications who were not necessarily working in professional jobs. They told us they were expected by hiring parties to take these roles and be grateful. Many Pacific workers shared that, while they were aware that these roles were beneath their skill set or experience, they accepted the role due to needing employment to support their family. As a result, Pacific peoples seeking jobs viewed the recruitment process as being a negative experience and, in the words of a Pacific self-employed contractor, “somewhat difficult – the jobs that were available were below my skill sets/qualifications/ experience” (S737). Voices of Pacific peoples 41