Flaum, Circuit Judge.
Plaintiff-appellant Mark Skiba alleges his former employer, defendant-appellee Illinois Central Railroad (IC), unlawfully discriminated against him on the basis of age and national origin, as well as retaliated against him for complaining about a superior, in violation of the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), 29 U.S.C. §§ 621 - 34, and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII), 42 U.S.C. §§ 2000e - 2000e-17. The district court granted summary judgment in favor of IC. Plaintiff now appeals. For the reasons stated below, we affirm.
I. Background
A. Factual Background
IC is a subsidiary of the Canadian National Railway Company (CN), a Canadian corporation that operates rail and transportation businesses in the United States and Canada. In June 2008, IC hired plaintiff, a United States citizen, as an entry-level management trainee in its Railroader Trainee Program. At the time, plaintiff was fifty-five years of age. Plaintiff completed the Railroader Trainee Program in 2009 and subsequently served in multiple management-level positions, including Mechanical Officer-Special Projects and Car Mechanical Supervisor.
In February 2011, at the age of fifty-eight, plaintiff applied for a promotion to Motive Power Supervisor in ICs Motive Power Department in Homewood, Illinois. Plaintiff alleges that during his interview, Jim Voytechek, ICs Director of Systems Network Operations, asked him his age. Voytechek denies this claim. He acknowledges, however, that plaintiff had a good interview, spoke very confidently, and appeared orderly and focused. As a result, plaintiff was awarded the promotion. In his new role, plaintiff reported to Daniel Clermont, the Senior Manager of the Motive Power Department, who in turn reported to Voytechek. Clermont and Voytechek are both Canadian citizens.
In June 2012, one of plaintiffs co-workers filed a complaint with ICs Human Resources Department regarding Clermonts workplace conduct. Specifically, the employee alleged Clermont was verbally abusive, used profanity, and insulted employees. Veronica Loewy, an IC Human Resources Associate, was assigned to investigate the complaint.
In an email to Loewy sent on July 4, 2012, plaintiff confirmed Clermonts abusive conduct and stated Clermont frequently berat[ed], badger[ed], and disrespect[ed] his subordinates. Plaintiff further alleged Clermonts continual personal abuse and belittling created a stressful work environment that caused him to have nightmares. Notably, however, plaintiff did not claim that any protected class status under the ADEA or Title VII (i.e., race, color, religion, sex, national origin, or age) served as the impetus for Clermonts conduct.
Plaintiff sent another email to Loewy on September 16, 2012. In it, plaintiff recounted that Clermont was abusive/argumentative towards him on September 9, 2012. Plaintiff alleged that as a result of Clermonts behavior, he experienced shortness of breath and a dull chest pain and was taken to the hospital. He further stated that the high stress induced by Clermonts management style caused a ventricular arrhythmic condition and high blood pressure. Once again, plaintiff did not mention a protected class. Instead, he characterized the situation as a personality conflict.
Regardless, plaintiff told Loewy he could not further risk [his] mental and physical health by working under Clermont and requested reassignment to another department. Plaintiff noted he had been putting in for other IC management positions since January 2012, but had thus far been unsuccessful.
On September 17, 2012, the day after plaintiffs email to Loewy, Clermont contacted Allan Rothwell, a Director of Human Resources, and informed him of performance issues with plaintiff. In response, Rothwell notified Clermont of plaintiffs complaints and request for a transfer.
Loewy responded to plaintiffs September 16 email via letter on September 21, 2012. She acknowledged Clermont had not act[ed] consistent with ICs expectations regarding his managerial actions, methods of communications, or interactions with IC employees and stated IC would take appropriate corrective measures to ensure that similar conduct [was] not repeated. She further informed plaintiff that his requested reassignment had to be based on a merit selection process pursuant to ICs regular hiring and promotion practices. She encouraged him, however, to continue to apply for other positions.
According to the record, ICs personnel decisions are usually the result of departmental decision-making rather than top-down mandates from company-wide leadership. One or more senior managers within a relevant department, often referred to as hiring managers, independently control the interview and selection process, with advice and consultation from Human Resources.
Plaintiff sent another email to Loewy on September 28, 2012. His email emphasized that his September 16 transfer request was not a complaint and that this letter [was] not a complaint either. Still, he raised reservations about finding a new management position via [ICs] conventional methods (plaintiff claimed to have unsuccessfully applied for approximately forty-five different job openings by that point). He further stated that during his time at IC, he had observed many management employees ... who got into a personality conflict with their superior, and were instantly given individual consideration and moved into an open position, effectively bypassing the merit based selection process, protocol, and procedure.
IC acknowledges that, on occasion, a manager qualified for another position may circumvent the normal application process and laterally move to another department without a formal interview. Despite plaintiffs requests, however, no such transfer occurred in his case.
Plaintiff filed a formal complaint against Clermont via an email to Loewy on October 14, 2012, stating that things have not gotten better with the personality conflict. Plaintiff stated the basis of his complaint was four-fold: (1) Clermont providing a continual hostile work environment; (2) Clermonts retaliation against plaintiff for previous complaints and testimony in Loewys HR investigation; (3) Clermont disrespecting plaintiff by publicly mocking and ridiculing [his] medical condition ; and (4) Clermont discriminat[ing] against plaintiff by holding only [plaintiff] accountable with written negative consequences for alleged errors that everyone else makes. Once again, his complaint did not assert Clermonts actions were motivated by plaintiffs age or national origin.
On October 15, 2012, the day after plaintiff filed his complaint, Clermont wrote a letter to plaintiff claiming his work performance [was] unsatisfactory. Clermont outlined several instances of plaintiffs workplace failures, and warned if he failed to improve, disciplinary action may result, up to and including ... dismissal. This letter was placed in plaintiffs personnel file.
In January 2013, Albert Nashman, ICs Assistant Vice President of Network Operations-also a Canadian citizen-decided to downsize the Homewood Motive Power Department and consolidate its functions at ICs facilities in Edmonton. At his deposition, Nashman testified that his decision was part of a company-wide effort to maximize efficiencies at ICs train dispatch centers. As a result, Clermont was reassigned to Canada and plaintiffs position was eliminated. IC informed plaintiff of Nashmans decision on January 15, 2013. At that time, plaintiff was sixty years of age. Although he had remained unsuccessful in securing another IC management position (by that stage, he had supposedly applied to approximately sixty management openings), Voytechek offered him a non-management clerical job.
In a February 4, 2013 email to Voytechek, plaintiff requested that Voytechek review plaintiffs personal circumstances. Once again, he referred to ICs supposed practice of placing displaced managers almost seamlessly into another departments management team. Also, for the first time, plaintiff referenced the ADEA, stating: I maybe [sic] a member of a protected class under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967. The same day, Voytechek emailed Rothwell and asked him to respond to plaintiff on his behalf. Voytechek told Rothwell that [t]he problem for [plaintiff] is not that there are no jobs in management available ... but rather that no one wants him.
Rothwell attempted to assist plaintiff in his job search. For example, in January 2013, Rothwell sent multiple emails to managers in other IC departments asking about potential job openings. Rothwell went so far as to request that plaintiff be interviewed ahead of other candidates. These efforts, however, proved unsuccessful.
On February 22, 2013, Rothwell emailed the Senior Human Resources Director in Canada. In his email, Rothwell described plaintiff as a later career person who present[ed] poorly to hiring managers and [had] a personal view of his skills and abilities which [was] inconsistent to how others see him. Rothwell further stated plaintiff was not one who takes feedback well. Rothwell shared his thoughts in case [plaintiff] escalate[d] the matter.
Plaintiffs managerial job search remained unsuccessful and he began working in the clerical position on March 4, 2013. Still, Rothwells placement attempts continued. On March 11, 2013, for instance, Rothwell told an IC hiring manager that plaintiff was still eligible for a management position and that [i]f he is qualified he should be interviewed. These efforts did not produce any tangible results.
On March 27, 2013, plaintiff sent another email to Loewy. Plaintiff complained Clermonts October 15th letter concerning plaintiffs job performance was retaliatory for plaintiffs prior complaints and was adversely affecting his job search.
In all, plaintiff alleges he applied to approximately eighty-two different management positions, all without success. Plaintiff further claims at least thirty-seven of those positions were filled by substantially younger candidates.
B. Procedural Background
Plaintiff filed a charge of discrimination with the Equal Opportunity Employment Commission (EEOC) on December 30, 2013, claiming the elimination of his Motive Power position, his demotion to a non-management clerical job, and ICs refusal to hire him in another management-level position were the result of unlawful discrimination based upon his age and American citizenship. The EEOC issued a Notice of Right to Sue on March 26, 2015.
On June 17, 2015, plaintiff commenced the present action in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. Plaintiff brought claims against IC under both the ADEA and Title VII, alleging unlawful discrimination on the basis of age and national origin, respectively. Additionally, plaintiff claimed he was subjected to unlawful retaliation for reporting his complaints about Clermont.
The district court granted summary judgment to IC on April 12, 2017. This appeal followed.
II. Discussion
We review a district courts grant of summary judgment de novo. C.G. Schmidt, Inc. v. Permasteelisa N. Am. , 825 F.3d 801, 805 (7th Cir. 2016). Summary judgment is appropriate if the movant shows that there is no genuine dispute as to any material fact and the movant is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. Spurling v. C & M Fine Pack, Inc. , 739 F.3d 1055, 1060 (7th Cir. 2014) (quoting Fed. R. Civ. P. 56(a) ). A genuine dispute of material fact exists if the evidence is such that a reasonable jury could return a verdict for the nonmoving party. Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc. , 477 U.S. 242, 248, 106 S.Ct. 2505, 91 L.Ed.2d 202 (1986). We consider all of the evidence in the record in the light most favorable to the non-moving party, and we draw all reasonable inferences from that evidence in favor of the party opposing summary judgment. Feliberty v. Kemper Corp. , 98 F.3d 274, 276-77 (7th Cir. 1996).
A. Plaintiffs Retaliation Claim
To survive summary judgment on a timely retaliation claim, plaintiff must offer evidence of: (1) a statutorily protected activity; (2) a materially adverse action taken by the employer; and (3) a causal connection between the two. Baines v. Walgreen Co. , 863 F.3d 656, 661 (7th Cir. 2017) (quoting Humphries v. CBOCS W., Inc. , 474 F.3d 387, 404 (7th Cir. 2007) ).
Here, plaintiff did not engage in any statutorily-protected activity. Statutorily-protected activity requires more than simply a complaint about some situation at work, no matter how valid the complaint might be. Cole v. Bd. of Trs. of N. Ill. Univ. , 838 F.3d 888, 901 (7th Cir. 2016). Rather, the complaint must indicate [that] discrimination occurred because of sex, race, national origin, or some other protected class. Tomanovich v. City of Indianapolis , 457 F.3d 656, 663 (7th Cir. 2006). Merely complaining in general terms of discrimination or harassment, without indicating a connection to a protected class or providing facts sufficient to create that inference, is insufficient. Id.
Our decision in Gleason v. Mesirow Fin., Inc. , 118 F.3d 1134 (7th Cir. 1997), is instructive. There, a former employee of Mesirow Financial filed a suit alleging pregnancy discrimination, sexual harassment, and retaliatory discharge under Title VII. Id. at 1135. The record indicated the plaintiffs former manager utilized an abrasive management style that was not calculated to win friends and influence people. Id. at 1136. The managers overbearing behavior included yelling, slamming down the phone, making nasty comments about clients, [and] talking down to his fellow workers. Id. Eventually, the plaintiff complained to management about the managers generally obnoxious conduct and difficult personality, but did not raise specific concerns or allegations of sexual harassment. Id.
The plaintiff later alleged Mesirow terminated her in retaliation for her complaints. Id. at 1138. Affirming the district courts grant of summary judgment in favor of Mesirow, we held that [i]n order to demonstrate a case of retaliatory discharge, a plaintiff must show that she opposed conduct prohibited by Title VII, or at a minimum that she had a reasonable belief she was challenging such conduct. Id. at 1147 (quoting Dey v. Colt Constr. & Dev. Co. , 28 F.3d 1446, 1458 (7th Cir. 1994) ). We noted that although the plaintiff did complain about [her managers] management style[ ] in general terms[,] ... she did not raise the subject of sexual harassment to anyone in authority. Id. Therefore, although the plaintiff may have felt the managers objectionable behavior encompassed sexual discrimination, those feelings were irrelevant because she did not make them known to her employer. Id.
The same reasoning applies here. Nothing in plaintiffs complaints about Clermont suggests he was protesting discrimination on the basis of age or national origin. His multiple emails to Loewy in 2012 and 2013 do not reference those protected classes at all, either directly or indirectly. To the contrary, like the plaintiff in Gleason , plaintiff framed his complaint in general terms: he stated the issue was a mere personality conflict and described Clermont as an abusive supervisor who berat[ed], badger[ed], and disrespect[ed] his subordinates. He never suggested that Clermont acted with unlawful discriminatory animus. This is not enough to satisfy either ADEA or Title VII strictures. Plaintiffs retaliation claim accordingly fails.
B. Plaintiffs Discrimination Claims
1. Plaintiffs ADEA Claim
Congress enacted the ADEA in 1967 to promote employment of older persons based on their ability rather than age; to prohibit arbitrary age discrimination in employment; [and] to help employers and workers find ways of meeting problems arising from the impact of age on employment. Carson v. Lake County., Ind. , 865 F.3d 526, 532 (7th Cir. 2017) (alteration in original) (quoting 29 U.S.C. § 621(b) ). The statute protects workers forty years of age and older and makes it unlawful for an employer ... to fail or refuse to hire or to discharge any individual or otherwise discriminate against any individual with respect to his compensation, terms, conditions, or privileges of employment, because of such individuals age. Id. (quoting 29 U.S.C. § 623(a)(1) ).
Because plaintiff seeks to recover under a theory of disparate treatment, he must prove, by a preponderance of the evidence, that age was the but-for cause of the challenged adverse employment action. Id. (quoting Gross v. FBL Fin. Servs., Inc. , 557 U.S. 167, 180, 129 S.Ct. 2343, 174 L.Ed.2d 119 (2009) ). In other words, in the ADEA context, its not enough to show that age was a motivating factor. The plaintiff must prove that, but for his age, the adverse action would not have occurred. Martino v. MCI Commcns Serv., Inc. , 574 F.3d 447, 455 (7th Cir. 2009). In this respect, the ADEA is narrower than Title VII ... as Title VII also protects against mixed-motive discrimination. Carson, 865 F.3d at 532.
An ADEA plaintiff may satisfy this burden through two methods. First, she may proceed by introducing direct or circumstantial evidence that her employer took an adverse action against her because of her age. Id. at 532-33. Alternatively, she may use the McDonnell Douglas burden shifting framework. Id. at 533 (citing McDonnell Douglas Corp. v. Green , 411 U.S. 792, 93 S.Ct. 1817, 36 L.Ed.2d 668 (1973) ). Under this approach, the plaintiff must show evidence that (1) she is a member of a protected class, (2) she was meeting the defendants legitimate expectations, (3) she suffered an adverse employment action, and (4) similarly situated employees who were not members of her protected class were treated more favorably. Id. (quoting Simpson v. Franciscan All., Inc. , 827 F.3d 656, 661 (7th Cir. 2016) ). If the plaintiff meets each element of her prima facie case, the burden shifts to the defendant to articulate a legitimate, nondiscriminatory reason for the adverse employment action, at which point the burden shifts back to the plaintiff to submit evidence that the employers explanation is pretextual. Id. (internal quotation marks omitted) (quoting Simpson , 827 F.3d at 661 ). However the plaintiff chooses to proceed, at the summary judgment stage the court must consider all admissible evidence to decide whether a reasonable jury could find that the plaintiff suffered an adverse action because of her age. Id. ; see also Ortiz v. Werner Enters., Inc. , 834 F.3d 760, 765 (7th Cir. 2016) (Th[e] legal standard ... is simply whether the evidence would permit a reasonable factfinder to conclude that the plaintiffs [age] caused the discharge or other adverse employment action. Evidence must be considered as a whole ....).
Here, plaintiff points to the following as evidence of age discrimination: (1) statements made by IC personnel; (2) deviations from ICs stated hiring practices; (3) preferential treatment of younger IC employees; and (4) evidence of pretext. We address each in turn.
a. Statements Made by IC Personnel
i. Statement by Voytechek
Plaintiff first highlights that Voytechek asked him how old he was when he interviewed for the Motive Power Supervisor position in February 2011. Voytechek disputes this point, but on review of summary judgment, we must assume he asked that question. Nevertheless, the incident does not, by itself, directly support an inference of discrimination here because it was neither asked around the time of ICs challenged decisions nor made in reference to the relevant adverse employment actions. See Hemsworth v. Quotesmith.Com, Inc. , 476 F.3d 487, 491 (7th Cir. 2007), overruled on other grounds by Ortiz , 834 F.3d 760. Rather, Voytecheks question came more than two years before plaintiffs Motive Power position was eliminated, and from a person who actually promoted plaintiff at the age of fifty-eight. Standing alone, each of these facts may not be enough to undermine plaintiffs claim. When considered together, however, they remove any probative value Voytecheks question might have added to plaintiffs proffered evidence of unlawful intent. In short, Voytecheks question about plaintiffs age is unavailing.
ii. Statements by IC Hiring Managers
Plaintiff next points to remarks by various IC hiring managers after rejecting his applications for assorted managerial openings: (1) when plaintiff applied for the Safety Officer position, a hiring manager believed plaintiff would not respond well to the need for additional training; (2) when plaintiff applied for the Manager of Truck Owner Operators position, another hiring manager thought a different candidate (who happened to be younger) would be a little faster at grasping certain aspects of the job; (3) the hiring manager who interviewed plaintiff for the Benefits Administrator-Attendance Management position noted plaintiff was low energy; and (4) the hiring manager filling the Terminal Coordinator position noted that a candidate (not plaintiff) was very close to retirement and looked to be using the opportunity to get back to Michigan ... so he could retire.
Plaintiff attributes each of these comments to bias against his age. We disagree. As the district court noted, these statements are innocuous when viewed in context. See Baker v. Silver Oak Senior Living Mgmt. Co. , 581 F.3d 684, 688 (8th Cir. 2009) (recognizing that statements made in an ADEA case must be viewed in ... context). For example, as to plaintiffs anticipated response to extra training, the hiring managers evaluation derived not from plaintiffs age, but the fact that plaintiff presented as somewhat over-confident regarding his own knowledge and abilities. Indeed, according to the managers sworn affidavit, he did not even know plaintiffs age at the time of his interview. Plaintiff offers nothing to rebut this contention.
As to the belief that an alternate candidate would be a little faster than plaintiff at the Manager of Truck Owner Operators position, the hiring manager explained his decision-making process at his deposition:
It was my impression that [the other candidate] would grasp some of the aspects of the job a little faster than [plaintiff] ... [b]ased on ... my overall impression on how they would do. A lot of aspects to this job, a lot of different things that you have to be able to manage and accomplish, and my impression was that [the other candidate] ... would be slightly more quick in grasping all these different parts of the job, as opposed to ... [plaintiff] I thought would take a little bit more time.
Nothing in the managers evaluation is attributed to plaintiffs age. Therefore, as the district court noted, plaintiffs assumption that [the] comments were based on Plaintiffs age versus his intelligence, skills, or simply Plaintiffs behavior during the interview has no basis in the record.
The hiring manager for the Benefits Administrator-Attendance Management position similarly explained his assessment of plaintiffs low energy, stating he did not recall that there was much energy in the interview and that the conversation was just very plain ... in tone and in response. Once again, nothing indicates the managers evaluation derived from plaintiffs age.
Plaintiff argues he deserves the benefit of inferences drawn from the evidence. Although this may generally be the case, we make only reasonable inferences, not every conceivable one. Spitz v. Proven Winners N. Am., LLC , 759 F.3d 724, 730 (7th Cir. 2014). Indeed, our favor toward the nonmoving party does not extend to drawing [i]nferences that are supported by only speculation or conjecture. Argyropoulos v. City of Alton , 539 F.3d 724, 732 (7th Cir. 2008) (alteration in original) (quoting Fischer v. Avanade, Inc. , 519 F.3d 393, 401 (7th Cir. 2008) ). In the end, plaintiffs proffered theory is too divorced from the factual record to create a genuine issue of material fact.
That leaves the statement about another IC candidate being close to retirement. From the outset, the probative value of a comment concerning a separate, unrelated employee is limited at best. Regardless, the observation, which was made in an email to a Human Resources Associate, appears benign when read in conjunction with the remainder of the hiring managers remarks:
We can check into [the relevant candidate] also. When I originally looked at his information I saw that he was very close to retirement and looked to be using the opportunity to get back to Michigan (where he lives) so he could retire. But I need the help so if he looks okay to you, lets set it up!
(emphasis added). Moreover, we recently held that courts cannot necessarily equate retirement eligibility with age because eligibility for retirement may be based on age, years of service, or a combination of the two. David v. Bd. of Trs. of Cmty. Coll. Dist. No. 508 , 846 F.3d 216, 229 (7th Cir. 2017). The Supreme Court has stated that age and years of service are analytically distinct, and therefore an employer can take account of one while ignoring the other. Hazen Paper Co. v. Biggins , 507 U.S. 604, 611, 113 S.Ct. 1701, 123 L.Ed.2d 338 (1993). Here, plaintiff has not identified any record evidence that explains how retirement eligibility is determined. David , 846 F.3d at 229. Thus, without more, we cannot equate the hiring managers comments about an employees impending retirement with an inappropriate focus on age.
In sum, plaintiffs reliance upon the various statements by IC hiring managers is inapposite.
iii. Statement by Rothwell
Finally, plaintiff highlights Rothwells description of plaintiff in February 2013 as a later career person. As with the term close to retirement, however, this is not an inevitable euphemism for old age. See Wilson v. Lear Corp. , 2 Fed.Appx. 576, 580 (7th Cir. 2001) (An early career person designation does not necessarily refer to age.). Regardless, in his role as Director of Human Resources, Rothwell did not possess final decision-making authority over plaintiffs demotion to a non-management clerical job or ICs refusal to hire him in another management-level position. Normally, statements by a nondecisionmaker do not satisfy a plaintiffs burden of proof in an employment discrimination case. Paluck v. Gooding Rubber Co. , 221 F.3d 1003, 1010 (7th Cir. 2000). In addition, the record simply does not support attributing Rothwell with discriminatory animus. To the contrary, the evidence shows Rothwell made repeated efforts to assist plaintiff in his job search, even after plaintiff formally accepted the clerical position in March 2013. Indeed, Rothwell went so far as to request that plaintiff be interviewed ahead of other candidates. Rothwells late career remark, therefore, does not help satisfy plaintiffs burden of proof.
b. Deviations from ICs Hiring Practices
In addition to the statements made by IC personnel, plaintiff also claims the company engaged in significant and unexplained deviations from its established hiring practices. See Hanners v. Trent , 674 F.3d 683, 694 (7th Cir. 2012) (Significant, unexplained or systematic deviations from established policies or practices can no doubt be relative and probative circumstantial evidence of discriminatory intent.). Specifically, plaintiff argues that ICs United States policy was to interview all qualified candidates for open positions, yet plaintiff did not receive interviews for a number of his management applications.
However, plaintiff has not adequately shown he was qualified for a majority of the eighty-two positions for which he supposedly applied. Neither the district court nor this Court is obligated in considering a motion for summary judgment to assume the truth of a nonmovants conclusory allegations on faith or to scour the record to unearth material factual disputes. Carter v. Am. Oil Co. , 139 F.3d 1158, 1163 (7th Cir. 1998). Moreover, it is undisputed that plaintiff was interviewed for a number of openings. Indeed, for at least one position, plaintiff was interviewed on more than one occasion. This places the true extent of ICs supposed deviations in doubt.
Plaintiff also references ICs alleged failure to comply with a consent decree in an unrelated case involving allegations of racial discrimination. The district court properly deemed this argument a nonstarter. The consent decree derives from a 2010 case to which plaintiff was not a party, and does not seek to remedy discrimination on the basis of either age or national origin. Consequently, it has no bearing on the claims at issue here.
c. Preferential Treatment of Younger Employees
Plaintiff next argues younger IC employees were systematically given preferential treatment. In particular, he points to thirty-seven younger employees (individuals in their twenties, thirties, or forties) who were offered management-level positions for which he applied. True, circumstantial evidence of discrimination may include evidence, whether or not rigorously statistical, that similarly situated employees outside the protected class received systematically better treatment. Hasan v. Foley & Lardner LLP , 552 F.3d 520, 530 n.4 (7th Cir. 2008) (quoting Hemsworth , 476 F.3d at 491 ). However, while they need not be identical in every conceivable way, similarly situated employees must be directly comparable to the plaintiff in all material respects. Coleman v. Donahoe , 667 F.3d 835, 846 (7th Cir. 2012) (quoting Patterson v. Ind. Newspapers, Inc. , 589 F.3d 357, 365-66 (7th Cir. 2009) ). This is because the similarly situated inquiry is meant to establish whether all things are in fact equal. Filar v. Bd. of Educ. of City ofChi. , 526 F.3d 1054, 1061 (7th Cir. 2008). The purpose of the inquiry is to eliminate other possible explanatory variables, such as differing roles, performance histories, or decision-making personnel, which helps isolate the critical independent variable-discriminatory animus. Coleman , 667 F.3d at 846 (quoting Humphries, 474 F.3d at 405 ).
As a result, [t]here must be enough common factors ... to allow for a meaningful comparison in order to divine whether intentional discrimination was at play. Id. at 847 (alteration in original) (quoting Barricks v. Eli Lilly and Co. , 481 F.3d 556, 560 (7th Cir. 2007) ). Although the number [of relevant factors] depends on the context of the case, Radue v. Kimberly-Clark Corp. , 219 F.3d 612, 617 (7th Cir. 2000), overruled on other grounds by Ortiz , 834 F.3d 760, [i]n the usual case a plaintiff must at least show that the comparators (1) dealt with the same supervisor, (2) were subject to the same standards, and (3) engaged in similar conduct without such differentiating or mitigating circumstances as would distinguish their conduct or the employers treatment of them. Coleman , 667 F.3d at 847 (quoting Gates v. Caterpillar, Inc. , 513 F.3d 680, 690 (7th Cir. 2008) ).
Plaintiff makes no such showing here. His comparator evidence consists solely of a table listing the names and ages of the thirty-seven younger employees and the positions for which they were hired. Plaintiff provides no amplifying detail of the employees qualifications or employment history that would allow this Court to comfortably conclude their hiring was the result of discriminatory motive rather than some other explanatory variable. Ultimately, plaintiff bears the burden of showing the individuals he identifies are similarly situated. See Patterson v. Avery Dennison Corp. , 281 F.3d 676, 680 (7th Cir. 2002) (holding that we cannot compare [an employers] treatment of [a plaintiff] and [a co-worker] if the plaintiff fail[s] to meet her burden of establishing that [the co-worker] is a similarly situated employee). Because plaintiff fails to do so, his comparator argument must fail.
d. Evidence of Pretext
Even if we assumed, arguendo , that plaintiff established a prima facie case, IC has offered legitimate, nondiscriminatory reasons for its refusal to hire plaintiff in another managerial role: he either was not qualified for the positions at issue or the individuals ultimately hired were better candidates. To show these reasons are pretextual, plaintiff must present evidence suggesting that the employer is dissembling. OLeary v. Accretive Health, Inc. , 657 F.3d 625, 635 (7th Cir. 2011). The question is not whether the employers stated reason was inaccurate or unfair, but whether the employer honestly believed the reasons it has offered to explain the discharge. Id. [I]t is not the courts concern that an employer may be wrong about its employees performance, or be too hard on its employee. Rather, the only question is whether the employers proffered reason was pretextual, meaning that it was a lie. Ineichen v. Ameritech, 410 F.3d 956, 961 (7th Cir. 2005) (quoting Ransom v. CSC Consulting, Inc. , 217 F.3d 467, 471 (7th Cir. 2000) ). To meet this burden, [plaintiff] must identify such weaknesses, implausibilities, inconsistencies, or contradictions in [ICs] asserted reason[s] that a reasonable person could find [them] unworthy of credence. Coleman , 667 F.3d at 852 (quoting Boumehdi v. Plastag Holdings, LLC , 489 F.3d 781, 792 (7th Cir. 2007) ).
Plaintiff argues that ICs proffered justifications are dubious for multiple reasons, none of which are persuasive. First, he highlights that Voytechek described plaintiff as a good interviewer after he was hired for the Motive Power Supervisor position, but Rothwell told the Senior Human Resources Director that plaintiff present[ed] poorly to hiring managers. According to plaintiff, if a jury believed Voytechek, it could infer dishonesty from Rothwell and the hiring managers. Not so. As the district court stated, when an individual applies to 82 positions, conflicting impressions about Plaintiffs experience or abilities with respect to different positions [are] hardly unexpected and cannot support a basis for finding intentional discrimination.
Plaintiff also focuses heavily upon Martyn Peterson, the IC hiring manager who interviewed plaintiff for the Manager of Truck Owner Operators position in early 2013. At his deposition, Peterson testified that he evaluated plaintiff (as well as other candidates) through the use of his own personal rating system. This rating system contained nineteen traits Peterson felt were the most important for the position, including, inter alia : mechanical aptitude, knowledge of Department of Transportation regulations, ability to follow directions, and enthusiasm. Peterson testified that, after each interview was conducted, he scored the candidate in each category on a scale of one to ten. Of the three candidates Peterson interviewed, plaintiff received the lowest score.
Plaintiff now criticizes Petersons rating system. First, he contends Peterson was dishonest about using the system in the first place because he did not produce the relevant scores to Human Resources until after plaintiff filed his EEOC complaint. The record indicates, however, that Peterson was the sole decision-maker regarding which candidates were interviewed and ultimately hired-Human Resources simply served in an advisory role. Peterson further testified that Human Resources never requested copies of his notes or other interview materials at the time a candidate was originally hired. It is unsurprising, therefore, that Peterson would keep his personal rating system private until a situation (such as the filing of an EEOC complaint) required him to share it with another department.
Plaintiff also deems Petersons rating system suspicious because Peterson testified he only took a smattering of notes during interviews and discarded them after a position was filled, but was able to produce a detailed scorecard after plaintiff filed his EEOC complaint. During his deposition, however, Peterson went out of his way to distinguish between materials produced during an interview and those created after an interview was completed; plaintiff improperly conflates the two. Petersons practice of taking a smattering of notes that were later discarded applied only to the former. As to the latter, Peterson testified he routinely created a spreadsheet of his scores for each candidate and maintained it on his computer long after a position was filled.
e. Considering the Evidence as a Whole
As a final aside, plaintiff claims that in granting summary judgment, the district court merely view[ed] the evidence as unconnected fragments and fail[ed] to consider the evidence as a whole. Of course, as noted above, [e]vidence must be considered as a whole, rather than asking whether any particular piece of evidence proves the case by itself-or whether just the direct evidence does so, or the indirect evidence. Evidence is evidence. Ortiz , 834 F.3d at 765. Plaintiffs view of the district courts analysis, however, is misplaced. Indeed, the district courts opinion explicitly states:
Considering the evidence as a whole , the Court concludes that no reasonable factfinder could conclude that Plaintiffs age constituted the but-for cause of either the elimination of Plaintiffs position in the Motive Power Department, or his inability to secure another management positions despite his having applied for dozens of openings.
(emphasis added).
Regardless, even though we take a fresh look at the record, Bass v. Joliet Pub. Sch. Dist. No. 86 , 746 F.3d 835, 837 (7th Cir. 2014), our renewed consideration does not offer plaintiff any relief. At the end of the day, the question is simply whether the same events would have transpired if [plaintiff] had been younger than 40 and everything else had been the same. Senske v. Sybase, Inc. , 588 F.3d 501, 507 (7th Cir. 2009) (quoting Gehring v. Case Corp. , 43 F.3d 340, 344 (7th Cir. 1994) ). Based upon the discussion above, the answer is yes. As such, the evidence presented below does not permit a reasonable factfinder to conclude plaintiffs age caused the adverse employment actions at issue here.
2. Plaintiffs Title VII Claim
Turning briefly to plaintiffs Title VII discrimination claim, we agree with the district court that there is no evidence that ICs actions were taken because of plaintiffs national origin. Plaintiff seemingly recognizes this fact as well; his fifty-three page brief devotes only one page to his Title VII claim. Plaintiff merely points to the fact that he is American while his IC supervisors-namely Clermont, Voytechek, and Nashman-were Canadian. This fact, standing alone, does nothing to advance plaintiffs case. An unlawful employment practice is established under Title VII only when a plaintiff demonstrates that a particular protected characteristic was a motivating factor for an employment decision. Hossack v. Floor Covering Assocs. of Joliet, Inc. , 492 F.3d 853, 860 (7th Cir. 2007). Plaintiff has wholly failed to make such a showing here.
III. Conclusion
For the foregoing reasons, we AFFIRM the judgment of the district court.
Plaintiffs email did make one cursory reference to retaliation. Specifically, plaintiff stated: So, before I make any written charges (of retaliation) I certainly want to be positive about my reasons for making such a charge, and so going [sic] to wait and see what happens .... Plaintiff, however, did not detail any statutorily protected activity, nor connect the possible retaliation to a statutorily protected class.
Clermont was required to meet with Rothwell, who counseled Clermont on the need to control his outbursts and improve his communication style. The meeting was documented and placed in Clermonts personnel file.
Plaintiff does not bring a claim under either the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), 42 U.S.C. §§ 12101 -213, or § 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, 29 U.S.C. § 794(a).
The district court granted summary judgment by finding plaintiffs retaliation claim time barred. However, we may affirm on any basis that appears in the record. Kidwell v. Eisenhauer, 679 F.3d 957, 965 n.1 (7th Cir. 2012).
At oral argument, plaintiff focused heavily upon his February 4, 2013 email to Voytechek and his March 27, 2013 email to Loewy. This reliance is misplaced. Although plaintiffs February 4 email specifically referenced the ADEA, it had nothing to do with plaintiffs complaints about Clermont. Indeed, by that point, the Homewood Motive Power Department had been eliminated and Clermont reassigned to Canada. Moreover, the email only declared plaintiffs potential membership in a protected class-a fact likely already known by Voytechek. Plaintiff did not further allege that any of ICs actions were motivated by such a connection. Similarly, although plaintiffs March 27 email characterized Clermonts October 15th letter regarding plaintiffs job performance as retaliatory, this alone does not establish a sufficient factual nexus to plaintiffs membership in a protected class. Plaintiff need not use ... magic words to grant his speech statutory protection, but he has to at least say something to indicate [his age or national origin] is an issue. Sitar v. Ind. Dept of Transp. , 344 F.3d 720, 727 (7th Cir. 2003) (quoting Miller v. Am. Family Mut. Ins. Co. , 203 F.3d 997, 1007-08 (7th Cir. 2000) ).
Although Rothwell critiqued plaintiff in his February 22, 2013 email, his thoughts were only shared with the Senior Human Resources Director, not a hiring manager. Moreover, Rothwell noted at the time that he was forwarding the information in case [plaintiff] escalate[d] the matter within the company, not to prevent plaintiff from securing a managerial position.
Plaintiffs description of ICs hiring practices derives from a single June 2013 email sent by an IC Human Resources Manager stating that [a]ll people who are qualified for [an open] position must be interviewed. As the district court noted, however, plaintiffs interpretation is suspect. For one, the existence of such a policy was disputed by another Human Resources Manager as well as Rothwell. Moreover, actual enforcement for certain job openings would almost certainly be untenable-the record indicates IC received over 500 applications for one of the positions to which plaintiff applied. Nevertheless, at this juncture, we must construe all evidence in the light most favorable to plaintiff. See Feliberty , 98 F.3d at 276-77.