2 Black Men At An Interview Argue When Code Switching Becomes A Problem

Scene Summary

Warren Sims arrives for an interview for a senior accounting job and quickly notices that the interviewer has two very different voices. While speaking on the phone with his boss, Mr. Lieberman, the interviewer is polite and professional. Once the call ends, he slips into casual slang and complains that Lieberman is pressuring him about a report.

Warren tries to answer professionally, but the interviewer tells him to stop being so formal. He then grills Warren about his experience, mocks the size of his previous company, and ridicules the sick leave he took for surgery. When Warren asks to speak to someone else, the interviewer calls Lieberman and again adopts a polished tone.

The sharpest moment comes when Warren sarcastically imitates the interviewer’s eager-to-please manner with Lieberman, calling himself an “ass swipe” who loves kissing up. The interviewer snaps and declares that Warren will never get the job—until Lieberman insists they finish the interview. The scene ends with the workplace tension and the interviewer’s shifting tone unresolved.

Personalities in the Scene

• Warren Sims: An accounting candidate who tries to stay composed and eventually calls out the interviewer’s behavior through sarcasm.
• The interviewer: A hostile, overly familiar gatekeeper who changes his tone depending on whether he is speaking to Warren or Lieberman.
• Mr. Lieberman: The interviewer’s boss, whose approval the interviewer clearly wants.