Can recruitment and selection methods be chosen to promote equality at work?
Introduction
For many reasons the selection of staff, whether for recruitment, promotion or redundancy, is central to human resource development (HRD). HRD is primarily concerned with the systemic coordination, motivation, development and deployment of staff. Organisations can only do this if they are able to identify the skills and abilities that they need and a well designed selection system helps organisations do this whilst considering the equal opportunities issues. There are important economic reasons why equal opportunity policies are important to promote equality at work.
Adoption of Equal Opportunities policy
Coussey and Jackson (1991) give the following economic benefits for adopting equal opportunity policies during selection:
An equal opportunities policy represents policies and procedures that employers may wish to adopt or adapt that are a statement of a company's approach towards equal opportunities. This statement shows that a company is committed to ensuring equal opportunities, fairness of treatment, dignity, work-life balance and the elimination of all types of discrimination in the workplace.
English: Col. Dennis M. Thompson, AMC Chief of sta...
NASA Equal Employment Opportunity Medal
English: Uncle Sam recruiting poster.One of the key objectives of the policy is for the company to provide a working environment in which workers feel comfortable and confident that they will be treated with respect and dignity. It is the company's policy to treat all workers equally and fairly, irrespective of their sex, marital status, sexual orientation, race, colour, nationality, ethnic origin, national origin, culture, religion, age or disability. This equal opportunities policy applies to the company's recruitment and selection practices, employees' terms and conditions of employment, opportunities for promotion, transfer and training, general treatment at work, disciplinary and grievance procedures and termination of employment. (Macdonald 2004)
Recruitment and Selection
The department in which the recruit will work must draft or revise a comprehensive job specification that will promote equality...