Last week on the radio I listened to an interesting discussion on a fish and chip shop owner who advertised for female only applicants. Most likely the shop owner had the intention of evening out the imbalance within their store, so realistically had equal opportunity at the forefront of their mind. However it was deemed to be unlawful and discriminatory.
I have been working within the labour hire and recruitment industry in Brisbane for some time now, and still with all the information out there on this subject I still see the need for business owners in particular small business owners to be further educated on the subject.
What is discrimination during the recruitment process?
Discrimination is the treatment of a person less favorably then another person in the same circumstance.
Avoiding discrimination during the recruitment process can be complex issue, so anyone performing such tasks should be completely aware of antidiscrimination laws.
The following are ways in which you can discriminate during this process:
· Age
· Sex
· Sexual orientation
· Race
· Disability
· Religion
· Parental status or
· Criminal record
All decisions made regarding a specific role must be made on the specifics of job requirements and skill sets.
What are some ways in which discrimination can occur?
In the case of the fish and chip shop owner it was pretty clear on where the discrimination occurred. Simply asking for females only to apply obviously discriminates against any males wishing to apply for the role.
Some of the less obvious ones but more commonly used is the use of the word “junior” This blatantly falls under age discrimination and an alternative should be the term “assistant”
The same can apply to the interview process. When interviewing your line of questing should strictly be associated to their roles, skill set and personality type. Asking questions not associated to this may lead to the interviewee with the feeling of being discriminated against
Questions like “do you have children?” whilst to the average person may be completely asked without ulterior motive, this question may open you up to the complaint that the candidate was not successful as he/she did or did not have children
Will the use of an agency help?
Not in every case! It is important that the consultant you are using has been sufficiently trained in antidiscrimination. Too often do I hear of consultants being thrown in the deep end without appropriate training. Whilst an agency should help ensure that you are acting appropriately, just be sure to pick the right one.
This is obviously not the complete guide to antidiscrimination, however a quick guideline to begin you thinking along the right path. For any questions contact the helpful staff at Ultimate Recruitment and they can point you in the right direction.
Happy recruiting!
I have been working within the labour hire and recruitment industry in Brisbane for some time now, and still with all the information out there on this subject I still see the need for business owners in particular small business owners to be further educated on the subject.
What is discrimination during the recruitment process?
Discrimination is the treatment of a person less favorably then another person in the same circumstance.
Avoiding discrimination during the recruitment process can be complex issue, so anyone performing such tasks should be completely aware of antidiscrimination laws.
The following are ways in which you can discriminate during this process:
· Age
· Sex
· Sexual orientation
· Race
· Disability
· Religion
· Parental status or
· Criminal record
All decisions made regarding a specific role must be made on the specifics of job requirements and skill sets.
What are some ways in which discrimination can occur?
In the case of the fish and chip shop owner it was pretty clear on where the discrimination occurred. Simply asking for females only to apply obviously discriminates against any males wishing to apply for the role.
Some of the less obvious ones but more commonly used is the use of the word “junior” This blatantly falls under age discrimination and an alternative should be the term “assistant”
The same can apply to the interview process. When interviewing your line of questing should strictly be associated to their roles, skill set and personality type. Asking questions not associated to this may lead to the interviewee with the feeling of being discriminated against
Questions like “do you have children?” whilst to the average person may be completely asked without ulterior motive, this question may open you up to the complaint that the candidate was not successful as he/she did or did not have children
Will the use of an agency help?
Not in every case! It is important that the consultant you are using has been sufficiently trained in antidiscrimination. Too often do I hear of consultants being thrown in the deep end without appropriate training. Whilst an agency should help ensure that you are acting appropriately, just be sure to pick the right one.
This is obviously not the complete guide to antidiscrimination, however a quick guideline to begin you thinking along the right path. For any questions contact the helpful staff at Ultimate Recruitment and they can point you in the right direction.
Happy recruiting!
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