Looking for a new job can be exciting but also challenging. You could spend hours making a resume, applying to open positions, and preparing for interviews. Putting so much effort into finding the right opportunity is reasonable, but going through discriminatory hiring procedures can be discouraging and upsetting.
Unfortunately, employers may be unaware that their hiring process uses unethical methods to vet applicants based on their race, age, disability, gender and other qualities. The law has provisions protecting the workforce from these practices, so it is crucial to know what they look like.
Recognizing discrimination against job applicants
You may not notice the signs of workplace discrimination from the outside looking in. Sometimes, only the applicants who underwent the hiring process can recognize whether it was discriminatory. Other times, the unethical practices can be so subtle that even candidates cannot notice them. It is essential to observe and recognize these incidents, including the following:
- Enforcing unreasonable requirements that seem irrelevant to the job position, such as height, weight, race and age
- Requiring applicants to take unnecessary tests that may exclude people with disabilities or older candidates
- Deliberately excluding applicants from a specific race, religion or gender
- Involving additional steps that do not measure professional competence
Some job opportunities could still include specific physical requirements if the work involves extensive manual labor. However, if the test or qualification seems unrelated to the position’s job description, it may be discriminatory.
Identifying unethical practices at work
These discriminatory practices in the workplace could be harmful to the applicants and the organization’s reputation. You could raise the incident and notify the employer if you suffered because of the hiring process. If they refuse to correct the issue, you can seek legal counsel to determine your options. Only by taking appropriate action can you identify the problem, exercise your rights and address similar employment violations in the future.