Recruitment
Every organisation aims to recruit the best person for the job. That’s why it is important to be able to select from the widest possible range of applicants.
Recruitment processes that are discriminatory reduce an employer’s opportunity to find the best person for the job.
Employers who are recruiting staff should be aware of their responsibilities under federal anti-discrimination laws. These make it unlawful to discriminate against a person on the basis of certain protected attributes, such as race, sex, pregnancy, marital or relationship status, family responsibilities, breastfeeding, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or intersex status.
Employers can prevent discrimination in their recruitment processes by:
- casting the net as widely as possible to attract a diverse pool of applicants
- carefully considering the inherent requirements of the job and framing the selection criteria and advertisement to match
- accommodating people who require adjustments, such as a person with a disability, to attend an interview
- not seeking irrelevant personal information from applicants
- setting aside personal bias, myths and stereotypes
- being consistent in the way candidates are treated
- educating others involved in recruitment, such as recruitment agencies, about their obligation not to discriminate.