I read this headline the other day: As Firms Seek Minority Hires, Social-Media Tool May Help
At first it struck me as inappropriate, I mean that’s the core of discrimination right?
As inappropriate as it may seem the subject comes at a very appropriate time. One of our writers, Patricia Carlson, just finished a series of posts on discrimination last week.
So back to the article, can an employer actually request that applicants be part of a minority group?
According to Patricia’s research it’s not a good idea to advertise for it, however seeking out minority hires is a different story. And that is what this new technology is offering.
Entelo Diversity
Let’s back up a bit. What is the social media tool that is causing this stir? It is called Entelo Diversity and was developed by Entelo, a recruiting technology company. It is a product that assists recruiters, hiring managers, staffing consultants and/or companies find what they want or need to balance out their hiring pool.
Is this a Discrimination Tool in Disguise?
The capabilities of the tool could allow for companies to discriminate, however, it was not made to be used for blatant discrimination. Does that mean it won’t be? Of course not. But that depends on the user not the product. Tim Sackett gave a great description of this in his blog:
“The products just find what you want. If you need more female recruits for your hiring pool. Bam! A product like this will help you. If you need more shades of color within your organization. Bam! A product like this could help you build a rainbow in your organization. If you have a hiring manager who only wants to hire young white guys in your organization. You need to address that!”
Read more from THE TIM SACKETT PROJECT
Social Media and Discrimination
Social media has been used to seek out specific groups of applicants by recruiters for a while now. In fact social media has proved to be great tool for recruiters. However, please note companies still must take caution when using social media in the hiring process. Active Screening’s Marketing and Communications Director, RJ Frasca, wrote a great post on this subject a few weeks back:
“When you use social media in this fashion as a recruiting effort, it’s fine but when you use it as part of the background screening process, you immediately risk potential hiring discrimination issues. It’s a double edged sword we all face, but the practice isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.”
As RJ stated, the practice of using social media isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. We knew it was only a matter of time before someone created a technology like Entelo Diversity. But just as the tool came around so will the lawsuits and complaints.
How to Use the Tool and Avoid a Lawsuit
- Use all diversity tools as intended (This is an IMPORTANT one).
- Have a Hiring and Discrimination policy in place.
- Hold an anti-discrimination training for anyone involved in the hiring process.
- Don’t turn away a qualified candidate for the following reasons: Race, Color, Gender, National Origin, Religion, Disability, Citizenship, Pregnancy (Health) or Age.
- Don’t advertise for applicants with specific characteristics pertaining to: Race, Color, Gender, National Origin, Religion, Disability, Citizenship, Pregnancy (Health) or Age.
- If you have a hiring manager that seems to be abusing diversity tools – address it immediately.
If you missed Patricia’s posts last week I encourage you to head to our blog and check them out. Also, subscribe for the latest in industry news and trends.
I have read a few articles this week on Entelo, some pro and some con. What is your opinion? Will this eventually cause hiring discrimination issues? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.