Finding the ideal candidate can prove to be a real challenge. While recruiting someone with the right hard skills and soft skills is one thing, avoiding any form of discrimination throughout the process is another. And for human resources, this point is essential.
While discrimination can be the manifestation of a deliberate choice, it is most often accidental and unconscious. Numerous unconscious stereotypes and biases limit the opportunities of job seekers and prevent them from accessing positions for which they are fully qualified.
From drafting the job posting to the recruitment phase, referencing a discriminatory criterion can result in significant penalties for the company, which must comply with certain rules.
“Be aware that combating discrimination is a significant lever for improving your recruitment process.”
Breaking through “the glass ceiling.”
The “glass ceiling” is an American expression that emerged during the 1970s. At the time, it referred to the “invisible barriers” to the promotion of women within hierarchical structures.
Today, this expression is no longer used solely for women but extends to all visible minorities who face the same barriers and difficulties.
Whether in terms of compensation or positions, it is evident that certain individuals are blocked in their career advancement for reasons that are not legitimate. If this glass ceiling constitutes such a barrier, it is primarily because it is neither visible nor clearly identified.
As a company, it is therefore within our responsibility but also and above all our duty to actively fight against this discrimination, particularly during the recruitment process.
Drafting and distributing the job posting.
The job posting must under no circumstances be worded in a way that excludes certain categories of candidates.
There are currently 24 discrimination criteria established by law, upon which a company cannot rely to reject an application.
Among these criteria, here are the main ones:
- Gender
- Family status
- Sexual orientation
- Disability
- Origin
- Place of residence
- Physical appearance
- Age
- Religion
- Political opinions
The information provided should be precise and as detailed as possible. Do not hesitate to describe the missions and tasks to be performed, the skills and qualifications sought, as well as employment conditions and potential constraints. By providing this level of detail, you may receive fewer applications, but you can be certain they will match the desired profile.
Moreover, although the goal is to attract the best possible candidates, the posting must remain objective and truthful.
Once drafted, the job advertisement must be distributed in a way that guarantees equal opportunity. This means following the principle of free distribution of job offers and applications. The law authorizes companies to pay certain distribution channels (websites) to post their offers. However, it prohibits them from selling them, regardless of the medium used.
Recruitment phase.
There are several ways to gather the necessary information about candidates for an initial screening. Collecting documents, questionnaires, and telephone or face-to-face interviews are the most common. Regardless of how you collect the information, it must serve the sole purpose of assessing the candidate’s ability to perform the job or evaluating their professional aptitudes. The recruitment phase is often the most sensitive in terms of non-discrimination.
All questions asked must have a direct and necessary connection to the position offered. For any question relating to the candidate’s private life and unrelated to the job offer, the candidate is entitled to refrain from answering and may even take the matter to civil or criminal court, depending on the nature of the infringement suffered.
Selecting applications.
Here are some tips from our recruitment experts for selecting applications while complying with non-discrimination legislation:
- Make applications anonymous: Remove photos, last names, first names, ages, and addresses from received applications.
- Implement a skills evaluation grid and/or an interview grid: this way, the same questions will be asked to each candidate and they will be assessed on the same criteria.
- Use digital tools to assist in your selection: Digital tools are objective and impartial. Operating on the basis of algorithms, they select the most qualified candidates for the proposed position.
- Opt for situational exercises to assess skills: In addition to hard skills, you will have the opportunity here to discover your candidates’ soft skills. Indeed, behavioral competencies are increasingly valued in companies as they prove decisive in assignments that require teamwork. However, these competencies must be specified and evaluated using rigorous and scientifically validated methods.
As you can see, ensuring non-discrimination during recruitment is just as essential as gender equality within your company!
If you need advice or personalized support for your recruitment process, our experts are here to help!
