Whilst Asda is to be applauded to removing date of birth from its application form the fact that this piece of information was still being asked for as a matter of course is shocking. What took them so long?
And, yes, the argument can be that this is still perfectly legal so why the fuss. Yet any best in class recruiter knows that for the majority of jobs age is irrelevant so why ask for it up front?
We have been advising our clients since April 2000 to drop age from the application form and, indeed, any other piece of information that has no relevance or bearing in the initial screening process.
Why? Firstly it can potentially prejudice a personís application even if unconsciously. It lays an organisation more open to claims of discrimination if questions are asked that have no bearing on the selection criteria or a personís ability to do the job. Secondly it does not respect the applicantís time when they are asked for information that is not readily used in the initial screening process. This is particularly pertinent if the applicant does not make it through the screening process, and many do not. Itís a waste of their time, which is just as valuable as ours. Applicants feel they have had a poor experience if they are asked for irrelevant information and at worst may perceive elements of discrimination.
Ask for what you need, when you need it, not indiscriminately just because this information has always been asked for. Date of birth, in the main, only becomes relevant at the job offer stage, so get it then.
When was the last time you went through your organisationís standard application form (on, or offline) and asked yourself ëhow many of these questions are ëreally relevantí?
Lesley Nash
Managing Director
Changework Now Ltd
Asda ñ What took them so long?
Whilst Asda is to be applauded to removing date of birth from its application form the fact that this piece of information was still being asked for as a matter of course is shocking. What took them so long?
