Tips for SMEs to Avoid Discrimination During Recruitment

Tips for SMEs to Avoid Discrimination During Recruitment Business success depends on employees. No matter how big or small your business, fairness in the workplace is vital and that includes during the recruitment process. Discriminating during recruitment is illegal, and it doesn’t give your business the best chance of finding the most suitable person for the job. Consideration of equality and discrimination during recruitment creates a platform for hiring a more diverse workforce. Businesses benefit from promoting diversity and inclusion. Companies offering an inclusive environment for a diverse mix of employees are more likely to outperform competitors. Finding and keeping the right employees is a challenging process. Hiring the wrong employee is costly. While most employers are aware of equality legislation to protect workers in the workplace, many are less knowledgeable about the law to protect potential candidates during the application process. This article offers tips and guidance to employers for a fair recruitment and selection process. The law While there is no single piece of legislation governing recruitment, there are a number of Acts dealing with the relationship between employer and employee, including during the recruitment process. The most significant piece of legislation is the Equality Act 2010. This piece of legislation protects people in the workplace (and in wider society) from discrimination. According to employment lawyers at George Ide, pregnancy and maternity discrimination claims are among those most frequently heard at tribunals. Often employers are unsure whether applicants are obliged to reveal their pregnancy during an interview. Female applicants don’t have to reveal that they are pregnant when applying for a job. If they do tell you (or it is obvious), the pregnancy should not be taken into account when deciding if they are suitable for the role. Another emerging area of equality law is the discrimination of people undergoing gender reassignment. Any employer who discriminates against a job applicant (or employee) who has undergone, is going through or is proposing to undergo gender reassignment is acting unlawfully. The Equality Act defines nine groups of characteristics that employers must not discriminate against. These are known as ‘protected characteristics.’ Protected characteristics The nine protected characteristics covered by the Equality Act 2010 are: Age Disability Gender reassignment Marriage and civil partnership Pregnancy and maternity Race Religion or belief Sex Sexual Orientation Types of discrimination It is essential as an employer to understand how discrimination can happen. The four main forms of discrimination are: Direct discrimination: treating one person worse than another because of a protected characteristic Indirect discrimination: implementing a rule or policy which has a worse impact on someone with a protected characteristic Harassment: creating a hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment for someone with a protected characteristic, including bullying behavior Victimization: treating people badly or unfairly who have made a claim or have supported a complaint under the Equality Act For more information on the basics of equality and discrimination, see the ACAS guide here. Identifying the vacancy and what you say in your job advert As an employer it is important you are objective when selecting skills for a potential job vacancy and ensure they can be fulfilled by people from different backgrounds. Be specific with the skills required for the job. It can be deemed discriminatory if you use job titles such as shop girl or use words such as mature, active or energetic. Explain which skills are essential and which are desirable. Ask for skills rather than directly stating a number of years’ experience, as this discriminates against younger applicants. If you are asking for minimum qualifications, consider if they are relevant to the job. Where qualifications are relevant, add the words ‘or equivalent’ to avoid indirect discrimination. Consider if the role needs to be full-time or if you can be flexible around hours to open up an opportunity to a wider group of people. Where you advertise Whatever medium you intend to use to advertise your job vacancy, you need to be aware that targeted advertising could contravene equality in employment law. Also, just because you are using a recruitment agency, it doesn’t mean you are necessarily compliant with the law regarding discrimination during recruitment. There are lots of rules around writing job adverts. Where you advertise may inadvertently cause discrimination. If your recruitment advertising is targeted at men’s magazines, for example, this indirectly discriminates against women. Advertise across a broad range of publications and online job boards so that your advertisement reaches a wider range of people. Questions you can’t ask potential candidates You can’t ask candidates about protected characteristics, including whether they are married, single or in a civil partnership. You can’t ask for a date of birth (unless the person needs to be a certain age, such as being eighteen to sell alcohol). You can’t ask if they have any children or plan to have children. And you can only ask about health or disability if: It is essential for the job (i.e., there are requirements of the role that can’t be met with reasonable adjustments) You are enquiring whether someone needs help to take part in a selection test or interview You are using positive action to recruit a disabled person Hiring disabled staff The most common form of discrimination employers make is in failing to make reasonable adjustments for disabled people. Reasonable adjustments to support disabled people means enabling disabled people to overcome any significant disadvantages they may encounter in applying for jobs and attending interviews (as well as in the workplace). As an employer, you have the right to inquire about a person’s health and disability, but there are limits in the interview stage as to what you can ask. See government guidelines on employing disabled people and people with health conditions here. For more information on reasonable adjustments see government guidelines here. And for more details on disability discrimination, read the ACAS guide here. Diversity and inclusion in the workplace matters. Diverse teams offer greater innovation and creativity, and they perform better. Inclusivity is helping to reduce the gender pay gap and is contributing to the stamping out of discrimination in the workplace. The question to ask yourself is, what kind of employer do you want to be? About the author:  Mike James  is an experienced business writer specializing in HR, tech, and cybersecurity. On the latter, he has contributed to many of the leading publications both online and in print â€" such as StaySafeOnline, GlobalSign, Tech London and more.

Security Clearance on Resume - How to Write a Clearance on Your Resume

Security Clearance on Resume - How to Write a Clearance on Your ResumeResume writing includes an element to verify the security clearance. The intent of this paragraph is to inform interested parties that these items are verifiable, and, if verified, will add credence to your resume.All military clearances are considered classified. The word classified is attached in this section to show the subject's interest in their work and their responsibilities as a government employee. These facts should be included for your protection.The first item on your resume should have a security clearance. The relevant paragraph should tell how long the clearance has been granted, and whether it is current or expired. No previous jobs are necessary.The second paragraph should include the length of time the security clearance has been in effect. This helps keep applicants from overstating their status to a point where the Federal Government becomes suspicious. Also, information is kept on file in refer ence to how long the individual has held a position, and the organization for which they held it. A question may be asked concerning how long the security clearance was issued.The third paragraph would contain an explanation regarding the expiration date of the clearance. No information is necessary to be included, except that it's in writing.The next paragraph is for the employment history. It states any and all employment by the applicant, and where applicable, the date of termination. The most important items are the employment details, including names and specific duties of the employees. These details should be correct.The fourth paragraph is about the character and integrity of the applicant in regards to their security clearance. Questions may be asked relating to criminal activity, financial aspects, and background checks. Any person can bein favor of their own integrity, but this may not be the case with all individuals. Should questions arise regarding this, the applicant should be prepared to discuss this.The fifth paragraph states the subject's security clearance, and information about any court orders. Any and all court orders, as well as fines and/or criminal records should be cleared with the specific office in question. There is no specific name of this office, but it would be a good idea to review it with a supervisor before committing to working with them.

Questions for Men- from YOU!

Questions for Men- from YOU! Guys/men/boys are confusing.When youre dating them, flirting with them, or in a relationship with them, there are always little idiosyncrasies that get me. So Ive got some questions for the dudes that I know I want answered and Im pretty sure you have them too. For example: Is it okay for the girl to ask you out? When you want to call it off, what is your go-to break up line? Do you ever not like sex? What is the most endearing quality in a woman? Why cant you remember to put the seat down!? So if you have a question- maybe one youve been too scared to ask your own boy toys, lets hear them. Next time we meet, Ill have them answered. And not just answered- but answered by a panel of men- so we can hear the answers from various man brains. And who knows, maybe these guys will learn a little something from us in return! Lets talk. Happy Thursday yall!

Starting Over, a Goal for 2015 - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Starting Over, a Goal for 2015 - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Learn to Start Anew Holding on to what’s no longer there holds too many of us back. Some of us spend the majority of our lives recounting the past and allow negativity to permeate our present. We waste our time  and energy when we dwell on the past and inhibit ourselves from making progress by not  letting go and moving forward.  You must accept the end of something in order to begin to build something new. In order to experience real growth and change, you need to move away from the past, learn from your experiences and then move towards something new (and hopefully better) in its place. When we continue to repeat a story in our head, we eventually believe that story and embrace it â€" whether it empowers us or not. The message we repeat to ourselves becomes a part of our psyche. So the question is: Does your story empower you? Do you allow your mistakes to dominate your thinking and pull you down? Or do you learn from your mishaps and use them as a springboard for personal and career growth? As Marc and Angel Chernoff say in their book, 1000 Little Things Happy and Successful People Do Differently, “Remember, all things are difficult before they are easy.  What matters the most is what you start doing now”. The Upside to Taking Risks There’s an upside to taking risks and rethinking about uncertainty. If no one would take risks we wouldn’t have the printing press (the precursor to the internet), penicillin, semiconductor, optical lenses, refrigeration, gunpowder, the airplane, the automobile, the pill, the telephone, anesthesia, the assembly line and the combine harvester. No one would marry and certainly no one would dare to have children. Essentially, if no one took a risk to fail at attempting to do things differently, the world would still be in the dark ages. The risk takers who went out on their own challenged the status quo and sought to innovate were not crazy, insensible people. Their success came from taking risks and being persistent with their ideas with courage to accept a failure and to learn from it. This kind of sensible risk taking will  allow you to manage a great success, a mild success and a total blow out failure. Smart risk taking requires taking a leap based on having a realistic gauge of market demand and being aware that with every risk there’s the possibility for failure. Starting Over: Do What You Love Starting  your own business can be an exciting and rewarding experience. It can offer numerous advantages such as being your own boss, setting your own schedule and making a living doing something you enjoy. But, becoming a successful entrepreneur isn’t for everyone. It requires thorough planning, creativity and hard work. It also requires a willingness to let go of the past, learn from your mistakes, accept the possibility of failure, and a commitment to learning new skills and wearing many hats. Famous People Who Started Over and Achieved Success Later in Life? Gary Heavin was 40 when he opened the first Curves fitness center in 1992, which ended up becoming one of the fastest-growing franchises of the 90s. Vera Wang was a figure skater and journalist before entering the fashion industry at age 40. Today shes one of the worlds premier womens designers. Julia Child  didnt even learn to cook until she was almost 40 and didnt launch her popular show until she was 50. Harlan Sanders, the Colonel Sanders of Kentucky Fried Chicken fame, was 62 when he franchised Kentucky Fried Chicken in 1952, which he would sell for $2 million 12 years later. Tim and Nina Zagat were both 51-year-old lawyers when they published their first collection of restaurant reviews under the Zagat name, which eventually became a mark of culinary authority. Stan Lee, creator of  Spider-Man, was 43 when he began drawing his legendary superheroes and his partner  Jack Kirby  was 44 when he created  The Fantastic Four. Don’t Throw It All Away: Your Past is a Springboard No matter what career youre in, youve made a considerable investment in your education and training to be there. It makes sense to pause, reflect and seek some objective outside advice at this point.  Similar to a romantic relationship, there were reasons you selected this particular industry, and at one point at least, something was appealing about that job or that industry. Sometimes, its making adjustments in your role at work and reshaping your job that can make a huge difference in your overall happiness and success. But in other cases, starting anew could mean applying skills from your past job to a new area that excites you. Your past real world experience isn’t wasted instead it becomes your springboard for a future success. The experiences both good and bad could all be beneficial if you use them as a catalyst for positive change. If you weigh the pros and cons of your job and conclude there are more reasons to leave than to stay, then making that actual career move into entrepreneurship will invoke less anxiety. Youll have greater clarity for why it makes sense to leave and will focus your thoughts and future plans on making constructive  changes that could lead to a better career and a happier, more fulfilling life.

Writing Credits on Resume

Writing Credits on ResumeWriting credits for writers are something that you may find yourself thinking about if you work in the creative writing field. Many writers who are working freelance want to get their names to appear on a resume as someone who has written a specific piece of work. They know that it will help them get a better job promotion and will boost their resume by giving them more writing credits. Writing credits are not as simple as they seem to be, however.One problem is that when you are listing your writing credits on a resume you may not realize that you may not be adding everything you should have to your list. This can lead to mis-labels on your resume that you did not create yourself. In addition, it can also be tempting to take out writing credits from things that you think you have written, because they sound better than some of the other writing they can come up with for the same content.The other problem with writing credits on resume is that there are many things that can count as writing credits, but they may not actually count as writing the way you would like them to. This includes things like illustrations, which sometimes don't look anything like your book, article, poem, or other piece of work. It also includes quotes, which aren't actually original. Other examples of this include using an image in your own work instead of finding one that is copyrighted and putting your name to it. A lot of these writing credits, such as original music and sound effects, aren't included on the resume because they are considered 'creative' and not 'original.'When you are looking for writing credits on resume, keep in mind that when you are searching for them, you might not be able to use everything you have written. For example, when you are using quotations, it is not always clear what they are supposed to represent, and whether or not they are examples of a quote. While some people might be able to argue that a quotation is completely original and valuable, others might not be able to. If you want to be sure that everything you have written will count, you need to be very careful when choosing the thing you can include.If you are trying to come up with a list of writing credits on resume, one thing you may want to consider is what has already been done. While this is true, this method is not usually a good one. Writers often use examples of other work in order to prove to employers that they are not just writing for the sake of writing. While this is a great way to show employers that you have already done some of the things they are going to expect from you, it is not the best way to get writing credits on resume.Another mistake many writers make is over-listing their writing credits, since this takes away from the uniqueness of their own work. Rather than attempting to list everything you have written, you should try to limit your writing credits to only those you feel are most important and meaningful to you. If you f eel that the audience for your work may be small, you may want to consider including a small writing credit for yourself. On the other hand, if you feel that your work will be seen by a wide range of people, you should choose to include several different writing credits on resume.Word of mouth is a great source of information. Ask your friends and family what they think of your work. Find out what other people thought about the works you have written, and then find out what they thought about yours. List your writing credits in chronological order, as well as the work that is most similar to yours. You will also be amazed at how much you can learn from the critiques of others.Writing credits on resume is something that you will probably get wrong at first. That is because while there are no standards for writing credits, there are standards for other parts of your resume. As a result, you should be very careful about your choices on this page.

4 Top Jobs For Hands-On People

4 Top Jobs For Hands-On People With all the different career paths there are available, choosing the right one can be a real challenge. When you are stuck in this quandary, there are a variety of potential routes you can take. One great option is to choose your new job according to what kind of thing you enjoy doing in your spare time. This is an effective way of honing in on your strengths, as well as finding something that you are likely to enjoy. If you are like a lot of people, you get a thrill from working with your hands. This is a common experience, and it is a valuable commodity in the job marketplace. If that description applies well to you, then this post may be of some help. Here are the top jobs for those who enjoy working with their hands.eval1. BricklayerImage CreditBricklayers carry out some of the most important work in our society. Without them, after all, there would be little in the way of housing or commercial properties.But is it the right career for you? Those who enjoy it say that it is a de ceptively therapeutic pastime, so if that sounds up your street then maybe it is worth considering. One thing is for sure: you will need to have a real sense of patience.The main disadvantage leveled against bricklaying as a profession is that it can get a little tedious. Why not give it a go and see how you feel?2. MechanicImage Credit If lying under a car with Air Tools in your hand is more to your liking, then consider becoming a mechanic.Mechanics are experts regarding all things motorized, so this is a real skill that you might enjoy picking up. What’s more, it is probably better-paid than you might have assumed. That, coupled with the great potential for climbing the career ladder, makes this a real viable career option. Ideal for anyone who likes getting their hands dirty.3. PlumberPlumbing is a career which can provide you with many great benefits â€" some of which you might not have even considered. Plumbers enjoy a very competitive salary, and one which increases year up on year at a pretty steady rate.evalBut that’s not all. Plumbing is one of the most secure jobs around. There are always plumbing jobs available, so you know that it is a career you can rely on. And what could be better than being paid to fix people’s serious home problems? The fiddly and intricate nature of this profession makes it a joy for puzzle-lovers.4. Massage TherapistImage CreditOn a slight change of track, we have the job of massage therapist. This is one hands-on job which can provide you with some feel-good advantages. Your average massage therapist will earn a pretty decent amount most of the time. Bear in mind, however, that this depends on the number of clients. This is an enjoyable job, but one which lacks the security of some of the others. Nonetheless, it is a real option for anyone with soft hands and a gentle touch.

What Are The Chances Of Getting a New Job in 2017

What Are The Chances Of Getting a New Job in 2017 How well do you know what you are up against when it comes to your job search? Thanks to Jobvites recent report: New Year, New Job: What Job Seekers Need to Know in 2017, you now have valuable insight into the process of job search and better sense of what your chances are for getting a new job in 2017. Too often, job seekers make assumptions about job search that are not based on facts or realities. You will learn that: Youll be interviewing a lot for your next job. Youre up against some competition. You wont land every job you interview for. Understand and apply this information so  you have a realistic perspective on your job hunt- AND know what youll need to do to stand out. The Interview Process Takes Longer Than You Expect or Want Ive always said this. And data proves it. Employers are putting you through more interviews and that takes time. From the time you apply to the time you are hired takes an average of 28 days according to Jobvite. Image via Jobvite What can you do about this? Nothing. Except you can WOW the interviewer by doing these things. 4 Ways To Win Extra Points During Your Next Interview. How Many Applicants  Are  Competing You can expect more competition, but exactly how much more? Some industries  have more competition than others. As you can see, consumer internet is the most competitive, with over 66 applicants per hire. In case you were wondering, consumer internet companies include gaming, apps, e-commerce, search, social media as well as others. You know the big names in these areas (Google, Zappos, Amazon, etc.). The less-sexy insurance industry jobs dont see the same level of interest with only 14 applicants per hire. Based on Jobvites data, you can expect the competition to look like this: Image via Jobvite You have some choices here- prepare to compete or target industries with less competition (when possible). 5 Tips To Stand Out In Job Search  and see how this woman landed her dream job at LinkedIn. How Many Applicants Get Interviews Theres no way every applicant will get an interview. The percent of applicants who are invited for an interview is shown below. As you can see, some industries are quite selective in how many applicants they invite for an interview. Companies in the media industry only invite 7% of applicants, while educational institutions invite 19%. Image via Jobvite The best way to convert your candidacy from the reject pile to a phone interview is to tap an insider. Referred candidates stand a much better chance of getting hired than an unknown candidate. Heres what you need to know about getting referred. 7 Things You Must Know About Getting Referred for a Job How Many Inteviewees  Get Hired? Not every interview you go on will transfer into an offer. There are many reasons for this. Sometimes you can influence this, other times you cant. The chart below can help you understand your odds of getting hired if youre going through the interview process. In industries like healthcare, energy, insurance and real estate, youre odds are pretty good at getting an offer if youre interviewing well. Image via Jobvite Prepare well for your interviews and by all means, avoid making these mistakes. 5 Types of Interviewees You Dont Want To Be It is my hope that this information will help you conduct a better job search and land a job faster by doing the right things!

September 50% off sale on College Grad Career Coaching - Hallie Crawford

September 50% off sale on College Grad Career Coaching Do you know a college grad who feels stuck in their career search. College grads often dont know what career they really want to pursue and if they do they struggle with job search strategies. This month we are offering 50% off our College Grad Career Coaching services. Our jobs mean a lot to us because we spend so much time at them. And how we feel about our career path affects all areas of our lives. Thats why its essential that we are happy with our career path. Career coaching can provide your friend, colleague or family member with individualized attention and custom-tailored solutions to help them with their career goals. Working with us, theyll learn how to: Define the career thats right for them Clarify and develop confidence in their skills and abilities Implement an effective job search strategy Overcome the obstacles that prevent them from moving forward And much more If you know  a college grad who seems like they need some career direction or who wants to make a career change, a Create Your Career Path Gift Certificate could be the perfect answer. Gift certificates are available for any product or service. This month we are offering 50% off our College Grad Career Coaching services. To learn more and discuss the best option for your gift certificate College Grad Career Coaching