Coleman & Sons Inc. works in the fashion industry, under provincial jurisdiction. They have had several legal problems in the past and hired you as a Human Resources consultant to fix them.
You observed a panel of three managers interviewing five applicants for an administrative assistant position. After the interviews, you sat down with the managers for a discussion. You found that only one of the managers took notes during the interviews, because they were all “used to recalling answers from memory”. The manager who took notes did not write down anything concerning several answers from the female candidates and explained that an administrative assistant had to carry heavy loads, and “women… just can’t deal with heavy lifting”. He also insisted on one of the male candidates getting hired because he was better dressed than the others. He claimed to have a great instinct for judging the ‘person-organization fit’ at a glance, and pointed out that he asked every candidate different questions, to make sure the questions ‘fit their personality better’.
All managers agreed that a man would be a much better fit because most of the department’s employees are female, and the firm “needs some guys before we all start wearing high heels”. They also explained that “you cannot judge an applicant on his answers alone… you need the right instincts for this job”.
Write a report to the Director about the problems you found in the organization’s hiring practices. Your report should be composed of three detailed sections:
1. Identify at least six legal mistakes in the process (3 marks) and identify the legislation or legal principles they violate. (7 marks)
2. Provide a specific, legally acceptable alternative for four of the six mistakes, and explain why implementing these alternatives would improve upon Coleman & Sons Inc.’s recruitment and selection practices. (8 marks)
3. Since you expect a lot of resistance to your report, explain the concept of B.F.O.R., how it applies to this specific situation, and how the job requirements should be assessed to make sure the right person is hired for the position. (7 marks)
