Advice needed - discrimination in job application?

meer53

TBeckett100 wrote: »

It's common practice to also search facebook, Google street view your home and look at other social media and web presence. We once had a CV in. Looking at her facebook profile, she was necking a redbull. Not for us.

Not relevant really seeing as the OP's friend can't use a computer !

Why would drinking Redbull prevent you from getting an interview ? It's not an alcoholic drink ?

TBeckett100

we suspected it had alcohol in it. Her clothes and roots showing meant she probably wasn't the professional she painted her CV to be. When sifting candidates, the Internet is a great tool I'm afraid.

JReacher1

TBeckett100 wrote: »

we suspected it had alcohol in it. Her clothes and roots showing meant she probably wasn't the professional she painted her CV to be. When sifting candidates, the Internet is a great tool I'm afraid.

I would say it's very unprofessional to turn down a candidate with a good CV because on her personal Facebook profile she's drinking a red bull.

I can only assume you're not very good at your job

somethingcorporate

JReacher1 wrote: »

I would say it's very unprofessional to turn down a candidate with a good CV because on her personal Facebook profile she's drinking a red bull.

I can only assume you're not very good at your job

How on earth would you make that deduction?

It's up to a company to recruit who they want, if they don't want redbull swiggers then so be it, hardly unprofessional.

JReacher1

somethingcorporate wrote: »

How on earth would you make that deduction?

It's up to a company to recruit who they want, if they don't want redbull swiggers then so be it, hardly unprofessional.

of course it's unprofessional.

If I had to tell my finance director I had rejected a candidate with an outstanding cv because I had found a photo on the candidates Facebook of them drinking a red bull then I would be taken off recruitment instantly.

Companies don't have guidelines over people drinking red bull. The poster has decided that people who drink red bull are unprofessional so won't interview them.

How you can think that is professional behaviour baffles me!

hollydays

Oooi wrote: »

Some people here really are being less than helpful. If you don't have anything nice to say...

I don't see what the problem is in allowing someone to apply for a job using a CV? Why should they have to find a computer, visit a possibly insecure website and enter the EXACT SAME information again, just to please the bosses of a crappy retailer? She isn't applying to be a doctor or anything, it seem stupid and possibly illegal to make such a demand.

Why shouldn't she do these things?
Why should the boss have to struggle to read people's handwriting, keep track of sheaves of paper, create a seperate filing system?

I would say it would weed out people who are less able to be flexible and , let's face it, unless she learns it's the employer who calls the shots, she's not likely to find a job anytime soon.

mattyprice4004

Please explain how a piece of paper with all personal details that can be lost, given to anyone, pulled out of the recycling bin by anyone etc is more secure than a website?

Thanks.

hollydays

If your friend has been out of work for nearly a year, surely she's had to register with job sites?
I know of people who are registered with the job centre and they have to go to,the local library to use their computers. Hardly difficult and good to get the computing skills practiced.

SnowTiger

Oooi wrote: »

Some people here really are being less than helpful. If you don't have anything nice to say...

Don't say anything? You only want replies from people who are nice and supportive of your position?

Oooi wrote: »

I don't see what the problem is in allowing someone to apply for a job using a CV? Why should they have to find a computer, visit a possibly insecure website and enter the EXACT SAME information again, just to please the bosses of a crappy retailer? She isn't applying to be a doctor or anything, it seem stupid and possibly illegal to make such a demand.

I guess it's easier to have job applications stored centrally, rather than each restaurant having a box file containing CVs.

Generally things are easier to manage and access on a computer.

When you send an email or SMS or phone someone do you look up their details in a paper-based address book? Probably not. You use the address book on your phone or computer. Why? Because it's easier.

Perhaps the restaurant isn't interested in employing someone who doesn't have basic computer skills. Some restaurants, especially chains, have computerised ordering and billing systems.

As for security, it would have been easy for the manager to accept the CV, then toss it in to the bin. Would that have been more secure?

Advice: help your friend gain a few basic computer skills and help her complete her CV.

daytona0

TBeckett100 wrote: »

we suspected it had alcohol in it. Her clothes and roots showing meant she probably wasn't the professional she painted her CV to be. When sifting candidates, the Internet is a great tool I'm afraid.

Do you know what you should do, write back to that candidate and express those reasons to them... I guarantee you will be facing a discrimination case against your company if you did that. Unfortunately the recruiter has the upper hand and you can decline applications without giving the "true" reason and until that changes it will keep you ticking over. You sound like a very weak employee by what you've said there though and you should probably make sure that you hire good alternatives because if you pass competent employees over for useless ones based on your own opinion about demographics then you will get bitten in the !!! eventually.

End of the day, young professional women like to go out and their FB profile is for their friends/family. Even if she had pictures of her on a night out it would show you that she was an outgoing girl who enjoys life. There should be absolutely no inference on her professional ability based on such pictures. That is down to YOUR weakness in reading her true value and not the candidate