More than half of U.S. hiring managers believe that their companies practice what some call "reverse discrimination," and slightly fewer than half say they have been told "to prioritize diversity over qualifications" when considering an applicant, a survey by career site Resume Builder found.

The survey of 1,000 hiring managers, conducted online last week by Pollfish, also found that one in six have been asked to deprioritize hiring white men; half believe their job will be in danger if they don’t hire enough diverse employees; and seven in 10 believe their company has DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) initiatives in place solely for appearances’ sake.

In addition to the reported deprioritizing of hiring white men, one in seven of those surveyed also reported being told to deprioritize hiring white women. This is a consistent finding with past reports of “reverse discrimination,” according to Resume Builder.

The perceived pressure to make more diverse hiring decisions does not just come from the top, the survey reported. One third of the hiring managers said they felt it from customers and about three in ten said that they felt it from co-workers.

Despite the skepticism toward their companies’ DEI initiatives, the hiring managers overwhelmingly approved of those efforts. Almost all believed that their company’s overall intentions are good and that these initiatives have improved their company. Almost nine in ten said that the programs in place have resulted in the hiring of more diverse employees.