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Recruitment and selection
are areas of particular sensitivity to claims of discrimination – as well as 
genuine (though often unintended) inequality. 
There is always a risk that disappointed job applicants, for example, will attribute their lack of success 
to discrimination, especially if the recruiting organisation's workforce is conspicuously lacking in 
representatives of the same ethnic minority, sex or group. The following guidelines should be borne in 
mind. 
 EXAM FOCUS POINT 
Although the legal framework is clearly important, because of the organisation's compliance 
obligations, you should be aware of the wider implications of equal opportunity. Think about the ethical 
and business arguments for eliminating discrimination. Think about the components of a proactive and 
positive sexual, racial and age diversity policy.
BPP Tutor Toolkit Copy

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PART D: LEADING AND MANAGING INDIVIDUALS AND TEAMS 
 
348
 
(a)
Advertising
(i) 
Any wording that suggests preference for a particular group should be avoided (except for 
genuine occupational qualifications). 
(ii) 
Employers must not indicate or imply any 'intention to discriminate'. 
(iii) Recruitment literature should state that the organisation is an Equal Opportunities 
employer (where this can be justified). 
(iv) The placing of advertisements only where the readership is predominantly of one race or 
sex is construed as indirect discrimination. This includes word-of-mouth recruiting from 
the existing workforce, if it is not broadly representative. 
(b)
Recruitment agencies
. Instructions to an agency should not suggest any preference. 
(c)
Application forms
. These should include no questions which are not work related (such as 
domestic details) and which only one group is asked to complete. 
(d)
Interviews
(i) 
Any non work related question must be asked of all subjects, if at all, and even then, 
some types of question may be construed as discriminatory. (You cannot, for example, ask 
only women about plans to have a family or care of dependants, or ask – in the most 
offensive case – about the Pill or PMT.) 
(ii) 
It may be advisable to have a witness at interviews, or at least to take detailed notes, in 
the event that a claim of discrimination is made. 
(e)
Selection tests
. These must be wholly relevant, and should not favour any particular group. Even 
personality tests have been shown to favour white male applicants. 
(f)
Records
.
Reasons for rejection, and interview notes, should be carefully recorded, so that in the 
event of investigation the details will be available. 
3.3 Other initiatives 
In addition to responding to legislative provisions, some employers have begun to address the