Length of Service on Application Form

SueC_2

I know that it's now very out of vogue to ask candidates to provide their date of birth at the time of application.

Is it however, still acceptable to ask for length of service in each of their previous roles?

I honestly don't give a jot how old they are, but I do want reassurance that they don't flit from job to job and that if I recruit them they are likely to stay with me a while. Theoretically though, by adding up the lengths of service, it would be possible to form a rough idea of the candidate's age - so does this mean that asking for this information leaves me open to a claim of age discrimination?

On the same basis, is it dubious to advertise for someone with experience, as I would be discriminating against a school/college leaver?

Genuinely puzzled...?

BillTrac

Sue,

wouldn't you be able to tell the applicants age etc from any CVs sent to you?

If I was thinking of employing someone I would also like to think they were there to stay.

good luck looking

SueC_2

BillTrac wrote: »

Sue,

wouldn't you be able to tell the applicants age etc from any CVs sent to you?

If I was thinking of employing someone I would also like to think they were there to stay.

good luck looking

It's for the type of role where candidates don't usually have CVs, so applications are via a standard application form. Some people send in a CV as well, but we don't request it.

bristol_pilot

I believe that asking for length of service in each role is OK.

Asking for a certain number of years experience can be seen as age-discriminatory if that level of experience is not genuinely needed to do the job. As a rule of thumb, asking for more than 5 years experience may be regarded as discriminatory if not objectively justified by the business need / nature of the job e.g. asking for 10 years experience for stacking shelves.

Zazen999

If you ask for dates [month/year] of each job/role then you can see gaps in the employment history anyway.

SueC_2

Zazen999 wrote: »

If you ask for dates [month/year] of each job/role then you can see gaps in the employment history anyway.

I know, but is even that acceptable? Or could a candidate claim that you were using their overall length of service as a basis for age discrimination?

Zazen999

SueC wrote: »

I know, but is even that acceptable? Or could a candidate claim that you were using their overall length of service as a basis for age discrimination?

It's been on every application form I've ever seen; otherwise it is just a random list of job titles.

bristol_pilot

I work for a large company and our HR department re-designed the Standard Application Form to comply with discrimination laws. 'Date of birth' and 'Marital Status' have gone, but start/finish dates (month/year) for entire work history from leaving school to present date has remained.

SueC_2

Zazen999 wrote: »

otherwise it is just a random list of job titles.

Which is exactly what I saw today on an application form from a local authority.... Which is what set me thinking about our own procedures.

Weirdlittleman

It isnt wrong on its own unless you use them to distinguish age or such for decision making purposes.

Its reasonable though to want to know career history and gaps etc as this impacts on ability to do job.

elsien

I work with vulnerable adults, and we insist on a full job history, to go with the CRB - we want to know any gaps and the reason why. And yes you can work out the rough age from this, but you can do this the minute they walk into the interview room anyway.