Interview Discrimination: Have You Experienced It?

Posted on: 27 Jul 2017

Almost one in four British job seekers claim to have experienced interview discrimination, a new survey has revealed.

OnRec reported on the research by CV-Library, which questioned 1,200 workers and found that 22 per cent believe they have been discriminated against during an interview. Of those, almost 40 per cent thought it was down to their age, with others stating that their race, gender or a disability had led to discrimination.

For a few, the school or university they attended had also been behind discrimination. Founder and managing director of CV-Library Lee Biggins said that the findings were “concerning”.

“During an interview, it’s important that you don’t let your preconceptions get in the way, and instead ensure you ask all the right questions to determine if they’re a good fit for the job,” he stated.

Among those surveyed, suggestions to help reduce discrimination included giving interviewers a list of questions that they aren’t allowed to ask, as well as simply providing them with better training.

Using recruitment specialists to help you narrow down a shortlist of prospective candidates for a job could also be a good idea, as these highly experienced professionals will look at each person based on their suitability for the role.

Last month, a survey found that many job hunters don’t like it when they’re asked weird and wonderful questions during an interview. Even though employers may feel as though ‘traditional’ interview questions come with very formulaic responses, it appears most of those on the other side of the table would prefer not to be asked unusual questions.