When has Monitoring gone too far?
When I first started at work it was a case of ring the company for an interview, no CV required, up for an interview looking smart and then, after smiling a lot, starting on Monday.
Times change and so has the questions you now answer on application forms.
I do understand why they ask what the colour of my skin is and what religion I follow, despite the fact I personally hate monitoring and feel it has no place providing you are a fair employer which of course we all feel we are, but like I have said before, if you do not answer the monitoring questions there is no point applying as you will not get an interview but will someone please tell me why they ask my sexual orientation?
My sexuality is no ones business but mine and I really believe this is a step too far. Ok so you want to know your staff and business are represented by a good mix of people but who you is sleep with or which sex they happen to be does not affect my job so why are you so interested and are you going to stop there? Are employers aware how many people are not only offended by this and how many good candidates are put off by this kind of monitoring question?
Let’s face it, if an application asked you what colour underwear you had on, you would not answer, or would you?
Perhaps the Monitoring asks what supermarket you use to ensure no bias in a sales department or maybe they will ask how many pets you have to determine you are a committed person. If I apply for a position I take into account that some monitoring is to be expected but from what I have seen of late I think this is going too far.
So I ask you, what personal information is relevant to your business and why?
Take Care People
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5 Responses to When has Monitoring gone too far?
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My questions tend to relate to driving, there are many people out their driving invalid – no glasses and other little things. We have to probe becuase as a company we are liable. I am so waiting for the day an insuring will insure a business for employee stupidity and withholding information.
I would just want to know if the person subscribes to the company values/ethos/vision, that way at least they and I know that we are not wasting each other's time
I think you're right Angie, it's a question too far. I assume being balanced in terms of diversity is the aim, but it is invasive!
What's relevant relates to the skills required for the job in question, so that should be the focus of the application.
Hmmm. A few years ago I would have agreed with you.
You say “who you sleep with or which sex they happen to be does not affect my job” which is, of course, absolutely true – but then your gender or your skin colour or your age don't affect your job either. The reality is that unwittingly or otherwise, some companies are more gay-friendly than others. Most of us just want the best person for the job – not interested in their skin colour or sexual orientation or whatever. But what if the best person for the job is gay, but your company isn't perceived as being gay-friendly so they don't apply? Your loss.
Monitoring is just a way of checking whether we are doing what we intend to do – not exclude anyone on irrelevent grounds. There was a huge outcry when ethnic monitoring came in all those years ago, saying it wasn't relevant. But it was. It raised many questions which led to better practice. This is no different, it's just unfamiliar and new.
For the record, we have been monitoring for sexual orientation for a while now (with the option not to answer offered) and our gay staff (and others) are pleased that this is one sign we take gay issues as seriously as race, gender and disability.
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