Select Page
7 Examples of Pregnancy Discrimination in the Workplace

7 Examples of Pregnancy Discrimination in the Workplace

7 Examples of Pregnancy Discrimination in the Workplace

7 Examples of Pregnancy Discrimination in the Workplace

by Steven I. Azizi 16/09/2021

The 1978 Pregnancy Discrimination Act (PDA) in the United States forbids employers from discriminating against pregnant employees in the workplace. The PDA protects pregnant workers from being discriminated against in workplaces with more than 15 workers. Similarly, in the European Union, the Pregnant Workers Directive (PWD) 92/85 protects the rights of women workers during and after pregnancy.

Employers cannot discriminate on the basis of (past, current, or future) pregnancy, childbirth, or a related health condition in any aspect related to pregnant workers’ jobs, including recruitment & dismissal, training, duties, salary, promotion, health insurance, etc. Yes, the PDA in the United States doesn’t just protect pregnant women. It also forbids discrimination on the basis of medical conditions caused by childbirth or pregnancy.

The PDA has been a federal law for over four decades now. Unfortunately, cases of pregnancy discrimination in the workplace continue to pour in. According to reports published by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the total number of pregnancy discrimination claims in the United States increased sharply by 65% during 1992-2007 and 50% during 1997-2011. In 2016, the commission reported having received more than three thousand pregnancy discrimination charges.

Such discrimination in the workplace is often under-reported because most women do not understand what constitutes pregnancy discrimination and how to fight it with the help of a pregnancy discrimination attorney. Here in this post, we will look at seven most common examples of pregnancy discrimination in the workplace: 

 

 

1. Refusing to hire someone because they are pregnant – or plan to start a family

When a job applicant is pregnant or intends to become pregnant, a company cannot refuse to hire them for such reasons. The PDA also forbids hiring managers from asking job applicants about their childbearing plans.  

Job applicants, however, can ask about the company’s health insurance coverage, maternity leave benefits, and short-term disability coverage. In general, employers cannot make hiring decisions based on whether you are single, married, divorced, have kids, or plan to get pregnant.

Many companies try to justify such discrimination by saying they are only looking to hire someone who can continue working without any interruptions.

Hiring managers may have numerous such biased assumptions about how a female worker will perform during her pregnancy or weeks following childbirth. Hiring decisions made on the basis of such assumptions are illegal.

 

 

2. Not Providing Reasonable Accommodations

 

The employer is required by law to provide reasonable accommodation if a woman is experiencing pregnancy-related complications. If a worker is unable to perform specific tasks due to a medical condition or impairment during pregnancy or after childbirth, employers are bound by law to make reasonable accommodations.

Some common examples of reasonable accommodations for pregnant employees are:

  • Temporarily assigning a light-duty assignment to a pregnant worker who is experiencing back pain
  • Modifying a pregnant employee’s work schedule because she experiences severe morning sickness
  • Moving a pregnant worker’s workstation closer to the restroom
  • Providing a stool or chair at a pregnant worker’s workstation so that she doesn’t have to stand on her feet all the time

In most cases, pregnant workers need to submit a doctor’s note/certificate. Once the medical condition has been documented, employers need to make necessary accommodations.

 

 

3. Not Providing a Private Place to Pump Breast Milk 

In the US, companies with at least 50 employees are bound by the Affordable Care Act (ACA) – earlier known as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act – to provide a safe and private place, other than restrooms, to women employees who have been recently pregnant to pump breast milk.

The PDA also considers lactation as a medical condition associated with pregnancy. So, employers cannot discriminate against someone expressing breast milk in the workplace.

The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) also offers significant protection to nursing mothers. This act makes it mandatory for employers to provide reasonable break time during work shifts to recently-pregnant workers (up to one year after childbirth) to pump breast milk.  However, companies are not required by law to compensate such workers for this time.

Pregnant and recently pregnant workers are offered similar protections in the European Union through Directive 92/85 EEC.

 

 

4. Verbal Harassment

 

Occasional annoying comments in the workplace aren’t illegal. But, if you are subject to jokes, insults, or negative comments that amount to creating a hostile work environment, you may be at the receiving end of ‘illegal’ harassment in the workplace.

Negative comments about how pregnancy is affecting your performance may also constitute illegal harassment.

When in doubt, consider talking to an experienced lawyer specializing in pregnancy discrimination claims.

 

 

5. Firing Someone Because They Are Pregnant

 

Some companies terminate employment contracts of pregnant women. They tend to assume that a pregnant worker wouldn’t be able to complete her tasks or the new baby would interfere with an employee’s work routine.

Some employers may even have the notion that a particular job (e.g. lifting heavy objects in a warehouse) is not suitable for a pregnant woman.  

Employers cannot discriminate like this even if they wholeheartedly believe that the decision is in the best interest of the pregnant worker. It is up to the employee or her physician to make a decision on what’s best for her.

 

 

6. Not Considering a Pregnant Employee for Promotion

 

Some people like to think that a woman won’t be fully committed to a senior position once she has had a child. Regardless of the kind of stereotypes they want to hold on to in the 21st century, employers cannot refuse to promote an employee just because she recently gave birth to a child.

It is also illegal to ask workers to take some time off due to past or current pregnancy. Reassigning a worker during pregnancy or after childbirth may also be illegal if it’s against their wishes.

 

 

7. Retaliation for Filing a Discrimination Claim

 

Retaliation against an employee just because she filed a pregnancy discrimination claim, is among the most common forms of discrimination according to the EEOC.

After an employee files a discrimination charge, she may start getting poor performance reviews. Some companies may even fire, demote or verbally harass the employee.

Such retaliation against pregnant or recently-pregnant employees is illegal. Documenting such incidents or collecting relevant evidence can help you strengthen your case against the employer. 

by Steven I. Azizi 16/09/2021

Steven is the Senior Partner and co-founder of Miracle Mile Law Group. Steven always knew his calling involved helping ordinary people, not corporations, so he started Miracle Mile Law Group, where he exclusively represents employees in claims against their employers.

Steven A. Izizi, Esq.

You Might Also Like

6 Great Things Employers Can Do To Improve Gender Equality

6 Great Things Employers Can Do To Improve Gender Equality

6 Great Things Employers Can Do To Improve Gender Equality

6 Great Things Employers Can Do To Improve Gender Equality

by Frank Feldman 23/01/2020

Gender equality is achieved when both men and women have access to the same set of opportunities and resources, are hired, evaluated or promoted based on the same criteria, and aren’t discriminated against due to their gender. While significant progress has been made in improving gender equality in workplaces around the globe, a lot more needs to be done. Employers can lead the way. Here are six great things employers can do to improve gender equality:

 

1. Have More Women Take Up Leadership Roles

 

Women hold less than 50% of leadership positions in every industry analyzed by the researchers at the World Economic Forum in the year 2017.  The report titled The Global Gender Gap Report 2017 highlighted that representation of women in leadership roles drops to an abysmal 20% in some sectors such as energy, mining, manufacturing, science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

If your company does not have many women in senior roles, it is perhaps time to reevaluate your hiring criteria. Find out if the human resources department has intentionally or unintentionally erected some barriers that keep women from applying or qualifying for senior positions advertised by your company.   

When more women take up leadership roles in an organization and get involved in the decision-making process, it eventually helps improve gender equality in the workplace. Women workers also feel motivated to join such organizations due to increased opportunities in mentorship and professional growth.

 

2. Proactive Approach to Prevent Gender Discrimination in the Workplace

 

Employers need to understand what constitutes workplace gender discrimination and how they can stop it. Often, workplace gender discrimination (including unlawful sexual harassment) goes unreported. Even the United States Equal Employment Opportunities Commission (EEOC) that reportedly received around 90,000 complaints against workplace harassment (including sexual harassment) in the year 2015 noted that the numbers do not reflect the ground reality as the vast majority of victims choose not to file a complaint.

Employers should actively promote the fact that any kind of gender discrimination in the workplace will not be tolerated. Instituting a policy to promote gender equality in the workplace is the first step in this direction. The policy should clearly define:  

  • What constitutes workplace gender discrimination?
  • How can victims report gender discrimination to supervisors or the HR department in an easy and confidential manner?
  • How a supervisor or manager should deal with an employee indulging in gender discrimination?
  • How does the employer or the management deal with an employee found guilty of discriminating against a person due to his or her gender?

Employers should be unambiguous in describing the consequences arising from sexual harassment or gender discrimination in the workplace.

Ignoring or mishandling complaints of gender discrimination by the human resources department, supervisors or managers is a bad idea. This practice not only defeats an employer’s intention to promote gender equality but also sends out the message that a company condones gender discrimination.

 

3. Train Managers on How to Improve Gender Equality in the Workplace

 

Both men and women in senior positions in a company should be trained on how to achieve gender equality. For starters, they need to know how employees, including managers and those responsible for recruiting new workers, indulge in subtle or obvious gender discrimination. For instance, a hiring manager may continually prefer female or male candidates over other genders.

Often, a large number of employees are not even aware of gender stereotypes that lead to (unintentional) discriminatory behavior.  Managers or supervisors can play a crucial role in improving gender equality if they are trained on how to identify the signs of gender discrimination or workplace sexual harassment and are well aware of the methods on how to tackle such issues. They can further help their subordinates on how to identify and remove their unconscious biases.

Managers or supervisors should know how to:

  • Always use ‘inclusive’ language or tone when addressing or interacting with workers
  • Call it out when men or women are selectively excluded
  • Call-out inappropriate comments, behavior or actions by junior workers or colleagues
  • Lead by example
  • Appreciate both men and women for their contributions
  • Challenge common (gender) stereotypes and biases

Instituting and implanting a policy focused on promoting workplace gender equality cannot deliver results if the people in leadership roles aren’t prepared to educate themselves and their subordinates on the subject.

 

4. Remove Gender Pay Gap

 

Employers should make sure that male and female employees who take up an identical set of responsibilities at work are offered the same salary and benefits.

In the United States, a male worker earns 1 dollar against 79 cents earned by a female worker as per a report published by the Senate Joint Economic Committee Democratic Staff. Great progress has been made in improving gender pay parity in the last two decades but a lot remains to be done; according to Women’s Policy Research, 100% gender pay parity cannot be achieved until the year 2059.

One of the best ways employers can remove gender pay-gap is to introduce a culture of transparency. When a bunch of candidates is considered for a vacant position, for instance, hiring managers should have a well-defined salary structure to adhere to, regardless of whether they hire a male or female candidate. Companies that are completely transparent about the fact that they pay equal wages to workers taking up specific roles, send out a strong message that they care about eliminating gender-biases in the workplace.

 

5. Gender-Neutral Hiring Practices

Often, employers aren’t aware of the reasons why they do not have gender-diversity in their workplaces. Therefore, it is important that employers evaluate their hiring practices and make them gender-neutral. Here are some standard guidelines:

  • When a company advertises a vacant position, it should be mindful of using gender-neutral language in advertisements and notifications.
  • The HR staff responsible for reviewing resumes should not be aware of the gender of a candidate.
  • Each candidate appearing for an interview for a specific position should be asked the same set of questions.
  • Candidate selection procedures should be standardized in order to eliminate gender-bias.
  • Hiring managers should not stereotype tasks, responsibilities or roles. Candidates hired for a position should be assigned duties as per their competencies and not based on their gender.

 

6. Equal Growth Opportunities

 

Employers should ensure that both men and women are offered the same set of opportunities as far as mentorship, training, promotion, and education are concerned. A quick organization-wide employee data analysis can help employers identify potential gaps in providing equal growth opportunities to all their workers.

 

Disclaimer: This is not legal information. No attorney-client privileges are substantiated from this article.  

 

by Frank Feldman 23/01/2020

Frank Feldman is PR/Media Manager at Stephen Danz & Associates, one of the largest law firms committed solely to representing employees in their disputes with employers in California.

 

Talentese can help you build a truly diverse Team, where everybody will fit with your company values, culture and purpose.

Talentese can help you build a truly diverse Team, where everybody will fit with your company values, culture and purpose.

You Might Also Like

Life as a big playground, with Galina Bankova

Life as a big playground, with Galina Bankova

In this episode of The Culture Voice podcast, we had the privilege to have a great conversation with Galina Bankova, a great entrepreneur on a mission to build something great. Galina defines herself as a “woman on a mission”; the mission to help people find their playground in life.

Communicating your company purpose, with Carolina Fonseca

Communicating your company purpose, with Carolina Fonseca

In this episode Carolina Fonseca explains how important is for a company that its employees are truly aligned with its Culture and Values. She provides very good tips to achieve this, starting by how to communicate your company purpose in a meaningful and authentic way.

Understanding Expats, with Lucyna Bolin

Understanding Expats, with Lucyna Bolin

Being an expat is something really interesting but it implies a lot of challenges too, not only related with the fact of moving to a new country, learning a new language, etc, but also with the intrinsic pressure that expats have to do just well outside of their country.

True motivation at work, with Rico Fernando

True motivation at work, with Rico Fernando

Rico Fernando is co-founder at Bonrepublic, a great tool that helps organizations to increase motivation through a culture of challenge, collective achievements and peer-to-peer recognition. In this great interview Rico shares his great experience as HR Leader and...

How can you improve your workplace communication skills?

How can you improve your workplace communication skills?

How can you improve your workplace communication skills?

How can you improve your workplace communication skills? 

by Anna Kucirkova 28/06/2019

Within the workplace, it’s absolutely critical to be able to communicate clearly and effectively. No matter what business you are in, the ability to speak with precision is essential.

If you work in marketing, your ability to communicate clearly with clients and coworkers ensures you deliver the desired product. In a retail store, communication with employees and customers ensures a good customer experience. In construction, good communication will ensure worker safety and project completion to specifications. In medicine, communication about your treatment is literally a life or death situation.

Clearly, good communication in all fields is a vital element of good business and proper customer service; a necessity for a career in communications.

Of course, this raises the question: How can you improve your workplace communication skills?

We’re going to break down the what, why, and how of effective workplace communication so that you achieve the best results.

 

 

Know your communication types

 

Before you can improve your communication skills, you first need to know all the different things that make up workplace communication. There are probably numerous methods of communicating that you use constantly without giving them a second thought.

In our technological age, the most common form of workplace communication is email. While phone calls are still used on a frequent basis, email and other digital forms of communication (such as texts, tweets, and private messaging) are the primary methods of communication among business professionals.

Other types of digital communication that have revolutionized business are web-based meetings, video conferencing, shared online workspaces, crowd sourcing, podcasting, blogging, and community websites within and between companies.

It’s important to note that type of interchange between you and a coworker, no matter what the medium, is workplace communication and should be treated appropriately.

 

The critical importance of communication

 

If you think you can be effective in the workplace without having solid communication skills, you’re sorely mistaken.

Effective communication is a vital tool for any business owner or employee. Your success at clearly articulating your message can be the difference between success and failure in any business opportunity.

You should be able to clearly explain company policies to customers and clients and answer their questions about your products or services. It is crucial to communicate effectively in negotiations to ensure you achieve your goals.

You need to know know which mediums appeal to which types of people. Some people grasp messages more easily when pictures and sounds are involved. Using presentations like PowerPoint to communicate with your clients or team will give them the opportunity to refer back to it if they aren’t clear about certain things. Others prefer face to face meetings or chats over Slack.

Effective communication can help create a good working relationship between supervisors and staff, which can in turn improve morale and efficiency.

In fact, research has shown that effective communication leads to an improvement in overall company performance. It has also been discovered that employees who were graded as highest in production had received the most effective communication from their superiors.

 

Growing in communication skills 

 

In order to have successful communication, everyone must have the basic communication skills necessary to understand others and to be understood. This may sound obvious, but consider how many people aren’t taught basic communication skills and how it hurts them in the workplace.

You can often be distracted by your own thoughts, feelings and opinions and so tend to hear what you want to hear or what you expect to hear. You’re often thinking about your next move or what you should say next, or you’re trying to second guess where the other party might be leading you.

To listen effectively you need to suspend these internal thoughts and give your full attention to the speaker. Only then can you really hear what they’re saying.

Active listening also means paying attention to the speaker – both to verbal and non-verbal cues. For example, if you see them look down or appear uncomfortable in some way while saying “That’s all I can tell you at the moment,” you might deduce that they are withholding information. This type of active listening alerts you to the opportunity for a well-constructed open or probing question, to gather the missing information. If you’re not listening actively, it can be easy to miss signs like these.

 

Be focused

 

Do not let your attention wander. Important pieces of information can be missed if you are not alert and engaged. This can lead to misunderstandings later on, or possibly embarrassing situations where you appear to have forgotten something you have been told.

One way to help you concentrate during a business conversation is to ask the speaker questions. Not only will this help you to guide the conversation where you want it to go and at the pace you want, it can also ensure your mind is focused on the subject at hand.

Confirm what you have heard and ensure your understanding of the conversation. An easy way to do this is to clarify, paraphrase or summarize. Examples of summary question include

  • So what you’re saying is…?
  • So what you need from me is…?
  • So in summary what we’ve agreed is…?

 

Be confident and clear

 

When you speak, be confident and serious to ensure that you will not be taken for granted. When listeners notice any uncertainty and lack of seriousness when you’re communicating with them, they could treat the information with disdain or disregard.

Use confident body language as well. Your body language will pass your message faster and better. Use positive body language when communicating with colleagues. Stand/sit up straight, use smiles, handshakes, and eye contact.

Also, use words that can be easily understood. When ambiguous words are used, you can be misunderstood and/or waste precious time having to explain yourself. No one is impressed with someone who tries too hard to be impressive. Be yourself and use appropriate vocabulary.

Your inflection is just as important as the words themselves. One word can mean a different thing when said in a different tone of voice. Make sure you use the appropriate tone of voice to communicate your message to your team so that you won’t be misunderstood. Misunderstandings in the workplace can and will negatively affect the work relationships that are critical to business success.

 

The amazing benefits of effective communication

 

There are numerous benefits of effective communication in the workplace. Excellent workplace communication can increase employee job satisfaction. Why? Because Employees feel empowered if they are able to have upward communication.

This type of communication is when information flows upward in an organization and usually consists of feedback. If bosses or managers are able to listen to employees and respond, this leads to an increase in employee job satisfaction.

In addition, employees are also happy if there is intense downward communication, which is information flowing down from superiors or managers to direct reports. Workplace communication can also have a positive effect on absenteeism and turnover rates. When employees are treated with respect, given opportunities to provide feedback, and feel like their ideas are being listened to, they are much more likely to stay with the company.

On the other hand, consider what happens when communication is lacking. Misunderstandings result in sloppy work, hurt feelings, missed deadlines, and employees being let go. A company that doesn’t prize communication is setting itself up for significant problems.

 

Avoid these traps

 

If you’re going to be an outstanding, effective communicator, you also need to be aware of the things that can stand in the way. There are multiple barriers to good communication in the workplace, and many times we’re not aware of these issues.

First, heavy use of jargon, over-complicated, unfamiliar, and/or technical terms can lead to confusion, especially when dealing with clients. While these may be something an employee could understand, a client may not.

Second, there are various emotional barriers and taboos that some people may find difficult to discuss, and some topics may be completely ‘off-limits’ or taboo. Taboo or difficult topics may include, but are not limited to, politics, religion, disabilities (mental and physical), sexuality and sex, racism and any opinion that may be seen as unpopular. Be very, very careful when treading in these areas.

Third, showing a lack of interest, being distracted, or ignoring the receiver is bound to not only insult the speaker, but it can decimate any goodwill you may have with that person.

Fourth, beware of missing clues that would normally show up when speaking to someone face-to-face. Not being able to see the non-verbal cues, gestures, posture, and general body language can make communication less effective. Phone calls, text messages and other communication methods that rely on technology are often less effective than face-to-face communication. If you’re communicating digitally, keep this in mind.

Finally, there can be significant language differences and cultural differences. These include difficulty in understanding unfamiliar accents, understanding the norms of social interaction in different cultures, and the way emotions are expressed. For example, the concept of personal space varies between cultures and between different social settings. Pay close attention to this as you interact with coworkers.

 

Be a great communicator

 

Will these suggestions turn you into the next great orator, inspiring millions through your powerful speeches? Probably not. But they can help you become a much more effective workplace communicator, which can pay huge dividends for your career.

You can’t afford to ignore your communication skills. The presence or absence of them will directly affect those around you, including your clients, boss, and coworkers. The good news is, you can grow in being a better communicator.

Here’s to clarity, persuasiveness and to becoming a great communicator.

 

Anna Kucirkova works as a copywriter for over 4 years. She speaks 3 languages, loves traveling and has a passion for kids and writing. While she has been to many places in Europe and South East Asia, she still wants to explore the rest of the world.

Check out her latest article about Etiquette

Anna Kucirkova

https://www.mastersincommunications.org/importance-good-etiquette/

You Might Also Like

Life as a big playground, with Galina Bankova

Life as a big playground, with Galina Bankova

In this episode of The Culture Voice podcast, we had the privilege to have a great conversation with Galina Bankova, a great entrepreneur on a mission to build something great. Galina defines herself as a “woman on a mission”; the mission to help people find their playground in life.

Communicating your company purpose, with Carolina Fonseca

Communicating your company purpose, with Carolina Fonseca

In this episode Carolina Fonseca explains how important is for a company that its employees are truly aligned with its Culture and Values. She provides very good tips to achieve this, starting by how to communicate your company purpose in a meaningful and authentic way.

Understanding Expats, with Lucyna Bolin

Understanding Expats, with Lucyna Bolin

Being an expat is something really interesting but it implies a lot of challenges too, not only related with the fact of moving to a new country, learning a new language, etc, but also with the intrinsic pressure that expats have to do just well outside of their country.

True motivation at work, with Rico Fernando

True motivation at work, with Rico Fernando

Rico Fernando is co-founder at Bonrepublic, a great tool that helps organizations to increase motivation through a culture of challenge, collective achievements and peer-to-peer recognition. In this great interview Rico shares his great experience as HR Leader and...

Pre-employment assessment, skill testing and interviewing: what is the difference?

Pre-employment assessment, skill testing and interviewing: what is the difference?

Job search: Pre-employment assessment, skill testing and interviewing 

Job search: Pre-employment assessment, skill testing and interviewing 

Omer Molad

vervoe.io

by Omer Molad 11/04/2019

We often hear terms like pre-employment assessment, skill testing and even interviewing used interchangeably. While they may have similar high level goals, such as identifying a suitable candidate, they are fundamentally different methods of achieving those goals. It’s important to know the difference because each evaluation method will produce completely different outputs. Moreover, in some cases it might make sense to combine one or more of these methods. One of the best discussions I’ve heard on this topic was on a podcast called Hire Up hosted by John P. Beck, Jr. The episode was titled Assessments Made Simple, Human, Smart and featured Dr. Scott Hamilton, the CEO of Hamilton & Associates Consulting.

Dr. Hamilton distinguished between each candidate evaluation method with ease and clarity. It’s worth listening to the entire episode but, otherwise, I have summarized some of the key points in this article and added my own thoughts as well.

 

Skill testing

Skill testing is all about understanding whether someone can do something or knows something. It can be a simple task, a range of complex tasks or demonstrable knowledge. It’s possible to test for almost any skill because you can simply watch people perform tasks.

Dr. Hamilton gives the simplest of examples: “if someone is going to have to weld metal, you want see them weld metal”.

This is why résumés and interviews are inherently poor methods of validating skills. They are focused on what candidates claim they can do, not what they can actually do. Instead, it’s far more compelling to see how people perform. Literally. Moreover, it’s far simpler.

Skill testing is context-dependent, and therefore subjective in nature. But it’s also capable of being objectively assessed, which means it can be pass/fail. Confusing, right?

Let’s take a writing test as an example. The style of writing you test depends entirely on the job. It could be anything from creative writing to technical writing. So the test is bespoke. At the same time, it is usually possible to objectively determine whether a candidate performed well. To use Dr. Hamilton’s welding example, either someone knows how to weld metal or they don’t.

The opposite is usually true of pre-employment assessment.

 

Pre-employment assessment: what is it?

 

Pre-employment assessment is focused on predicting how people will behave in certain scenarios, not what they can do. They explore key personality traits based on an understanding that someone’s personality can predict their behavior. Most personality assessments are based on the Five-Factor Model, which asserts that there are five personality supertraits:

  1. Openness to experience
  2. Conscientiousness
  3. Extraversion
  4. Agreeableness
  5. Neuroticism

Therefore, if we gain an understanding of someone’s personality, and particularly these five supertraits, we will have a good chance of knowing how they will react in different situations. Unlike skill testing, this doesn’t mean someone can do the job. But it may shed light on how they will do the job.

 

Pre-employment assessment: does personality change?

 

Now here’s the tricky part. While skills can be taught, many people think that personality is fixed. However, that isn’t entirely true. Studies have shown that personality can, and does, change over time. While most people don’t change in a fundamental way, it is possible to change behaviors and habits, according to Carol Dweck. And it’s those very behaviors that are relevant to how someone will perform in a job, not their personality per se. That’s why two people with different personalities can perform well in the same role.

Whether we believe personality is fixed or not, it is not something that can be measured in binary terms such as pass/fail, like an Excel test. It’s who we are and, if we subscribe to the theory that personality changes over time, it’s who are are at the time of assessment. This means that the outcome of a personality assessment can’t be viewed as “good” or “bad” in isolation, it can only indicate potential suitability for a specific job. Conversely, someone can be good at Excel.

Additionally, if used incorrectly, personality assessments can be harmful to the hiring process. That’s why pre-employment assessments that test personality need to be validated. Skill testing, on the other hand, is inherently bespoke.

 

What does this all mean?

 

This is where it gets interesting. Let’s start with the dictionary:

  • A test means “a procedure intended to establish the quality, performance, or reliability of something, especially before it is taken into widespread use”.
  • To assess means to “evaluate or estimate the nature, ability, or quality of”.
  • An interview means “A meeting of people face to face, especially for consultation”.

 

Interviewing

 

Tests and assessments sound fairly similar. They are ways of measuring ability or quality. On the other hand, an interview is a discussion. Technology also makes it possible to conduct one-way interviews using video, which are essentially discussions without real-time interaction. And yet, the most commonly used method for making hiring decisions is interviewing. For some reason the notion that skills and behaviors can be evaluated without skill tests or assessments – but through a discussion – has become the norm.

Maybe it’s because of a lack of resourcing. Maybe we trust our intuition more than third party methods. Or maybe it’s a lack of awareness. But it doesn’t make a lot of sense because interviews don’t predict performance. They typically focus on understanding what someone did in the past or discussing what they claim to be able to do, without proof.

Can interviews nevertheless play a valuable role in the hiring process? Interviews should be used to get to know a preferred candidate after their skills and behaviors have been validated. Only candidates who have already demonstrated they can do they job should be interviewed. That would allow for a much more valuable interviewing experience, and a far better use of everyone’s time. Unfortunately, that is not normally the case.

 

Can we combine skill testing, pre-employment assessment and interviewing?

 

A strong hiring process will combine reliable insights about a candidate’s ability to do the job and their expected behavior with high-quality human interaction. In theory, this could involve a skill test, some form of pre-employment assessment and an interview. It very much depends on the type of role, and the candidate experience the company wants to deliver.

Hiring is not a “one size fits all” endeavour. Every situation is different. But understanding what each evaluation method can achieve and, more importantly, what it will not achieve, will go a long way to helping companies build hiring robust processes.

Making hiring about merit, not background | Co-founder and CEO of Vervoe

Omer Molad

www.vervoe.io

You Might Also Like

Life as a big playground, with Galina Bankova

Life as a big playground, with Galina Bankova

In this episode of The Culture Voice podcast, we had the privilege to have a great conversation with Galina Bankova, a great entrepreneur on a mission to build something great. Galina defines herself as a “woman on a mission”; the mission to help people find their playground in life.

Communicating your company purpose, with Carolina Fonseca

Communicating your company purpose, with Carolina Fonseca

In this episode Carolina Fonseca explains how important is for a company that its employees are truly aligned with its Culture and Values. She provides very good tips to achieve this, starting by how to communicate your company purpose in a meaningful and authentic way.

Understanding Expats, with Lucyna Bolin

Understanding Expats, with Lucyna Bolin

Being an expat is something really interesting but it implies a lot of challenges too, not only related with the fact of moving to a new country, learning a new language, etc, but also with the intrinsic pressure that expats have to do just well outside of their country.

True motivation at work, with Rico Fernando

True motivation at work, with Rico Fernando

Rico Fernando is co-founder at Bonrepublic, a great tool that helps organizations to increase motivation through a culture of challenge, collective achievements and peer-to-peer recognition. In this great interview Rico shares his great experience as HR Leader and...

6 things from sports that you should be applying to work

6 things from sports that you should be applying to work

6 Things from sports that you should be applying to work

6 Things from sports that you should be applying to work

by Talentese Team 20/01/2019

Games have always been an indispensable part of our childhood. Whether in school as extracurricular activities or with friends, we all have played some form of sports. Most people believe that to succeed in the workplace, you only need to be smart and know how to do your work. While this is somewhat true, it is not the entire truth. Success in the workplace or office is hugely dependent upon education, experience, willingness to learn, adaptability, and the ability to network.

Sports, however, play an equally crucial role in preparing you to succeed in the workplace. Most of us have worked hard to achieve our goals at sports or hobbies. Hobbies can range from games to playing a musical instrument. No matter which sport or extracurricular activity you choose, there is some measure of hard work that goes into it. Sports are no different. Most hobby sportspersons and athletes will have grueling and shocking tales to narrate about hard work, failure, winning, leadership, competitiveness, and team spirit. Career guidance counselors have observed that most sportspersons make excellent employees. We have always wondered why this is the case. Several things can be learned through sports. These basic examples and teachings can then be applied to succeed in the workplace daily.

Let us look at six things from sports that you should be applying to work to succeed and climb your career ladder faster.

1. Team Spirit:

Team spirit is the most important aspect of sports training. When sports are played in teams, sportspersons and athletes learn to trust, rely, and depend on teammates and team members to achieve a winning result. While the end goal is not necessary, it is the learning that team spirit imparts that is more important. When you visit a career guidance counselor and seek career counseling, the importance of team spirit and teamwork will be stressed. Cheering your teammates, helping them with challenging work, giving advice, and acknowledging individual success is as important as winning the end goal or bottom line.

2. Leadership:

Sports teach us the importance of listening to a team captain. The same is the case with bosses in the workplace. The boss at the workplace is a team captain, and the game is like completing the projects on time, efficiently, and without loss of quality. As a leader, you understand and work with the strengths and weaknesses of your teammates to ensure that you can make the best contribution to the project or task.

Understanding these aspects not only helps in building trust, goodwill, and reputation but also helps with your employee branding. Leaders are extremely sought after and are known to make adjustments to teams so that each teammate contributes their best to the task given.

3. Fierce competition:

Sportspersons and athletes have an inherent understanding of what sport is really about. Business is just like being in a sport or race. Only winners succeed with the best strategies, ideas, perseverance, hard work, and consistent execution of tasks. Any good career guidance counselor will stress the importance of fighting till the end.

For leaders and sportspersons, failure is not an option, only reaching the goal is. They can understand failures and adapt according to the need of the day to ensure that business goals are met the next time successfully. For leaders, failure is not debilitating. Instead, it is a learning curve to help improve themselves and their team members. Insight like this only comes through understanding competition and how to enhance personal strengths. Career counseling suggests that competition should be healthy and great managers find win-win situations for everyone involved.

4. Great sportsmanship:

Managers and leaders, like athletes and sportspersons, respect work given and understand the importance of hard work. Efficiency, quality, timely delivery, and quality are as important as achieving the task or goal. Leaders understand that in business, there is always competition and people playing or pitching against you and your team are as skilled at their work as you are.

Great sportsmanship in business means having a healthy respect for competitors. Managers are unbiased towards the strengths of their competitors and groom their teams accordingly. Challenges are accepted and treated like milestones to cross in business. This not only helps in furthering business and opportunities but also improving company reputation and employee branding.

5. Practice:

Athletes do not believe in luck. Similarly, in business, teams, and managers should not believe in luck either. Practice in tasks, constant hard work, and occasional failure is treated like learning curves that help in strengthening employee branding and quality of work. Managers endlessly push for consistency in action. The similarity between sports and business is that of a coach and a manager respectively. Managers drive for improvement, hard work, results, consistency, and a positive attitude.

People involved in customer service roles will appreciate the beauty of consistency and patience. Tasks, like answering phone calls, calming irate customers, and completing data entry operations, are successful only with constant practice. While these may not be fun, they are necessary to get better at your work.

6. Focus and concentration:

Constant exercise and practice help in improving focus and concentration at tasks. Sports like tennis, football, athletics, gymnastics, hockey, and so on help immensely in increasing controlled movement and focus. Things like distractions, wandering of the mind and forgetting tasks decrease over time.

Tasks are better performed through multitasking, manipulating information, thinking analytically, making better strategies, coordination, and teamwork. The same principles can also be applied to business and daily operational tasks. Focus and concentration are improved over time to get better at work.

You Might Also Like

How to Write a Great Job Ad? 5 tips that every recruiter should know!

How to Write a Great Job Ad? 5 tips that every recruiter should know!

How to Write a Great Job Ad? 

How to Write a Great Job Ad? 

by Anja Zojčeska 19/11/2018

Hiring? Need a job ad that will stand out and capture top talent’s attention? Learn the best tips and tricks on how to write a great job ad!

 

Why do you need to write a killer job ad?

With unemployment rate lower than ever, there is a fierce competition for a talent in the job market. According to Glassdoor, 76% percent of hiring managers admit that attracting top talent is their greatest challenge.

To win in the war for talent, you need to differentiate yourself from your competitors. In order to to stand out among other employers, you need to learn how to write a killer job advert. A killer job advertisement does more than just attracts the attention of your ideal candidates.

A killer job ad will also convince your ideal candidates to apply for your open job positions. It will make them eager to work at your company! Forget about the standard, boring job ads. Let’s learn how to write a job ads that people really want to apply to!

 

What do candidates want to read in your job ad?

To write a job ad that attract candidates’ attention and makes them want to apply, first you need to understand your candidates’ wants and needs. What is important for candidates? What do candidates really want to read in a job ad?

To find out, Talent Board did a research and asked 95,684 candidates what job-related content do they find most valuable. According to the Talent Board’s North American Candidate Experience Research Report, candidates want to know details about the job duties, salary range and benefits.

A similar research has been performed recently by LinkedIn. LinkedIn created a job ad heatmap which shows what sections of job ads candidate really care about, and which they ignore. The results of their study confirm the findings of Talent Board’s research – when it comes to job descriptions, candidates want to what work they’ll do (job duties) and how much they’ll make (salary and benefits).

Key takeaway? Be transparent and state the salary range in your job ad. It will give you a competitive advantage when trying to attract candidates. It will also prevent you from wasting your time on candidates you can’t afford.

 

Top 5 tips for writing great job ads

Want to make your job ads irresistible to candidates? Follow these top 5 tips:

 

Tip #1: Start by defining your ideal job candidate

Before you start writing your job ad, try to imagine your ideal job candidate. Think beyond the standard job description templates which list the job duties and requirements. Think about your ideal candidates interests beyond work, their motivation, lifestyle… Try to picture your ideal candidate as a real person.

Creating and defining your ideal candidate’s profile will help you narrow down your search and target the candidates that will be the best fit not only for your role, but also for your company culture. It will also help you create a job ad that sounds more human and authentic.

 

Tip #2: Optimize your job ad title

Use your job ad title to communicate the most important job ad information: Job title, level and position. These are three most important self selection criteria candidates first look at to decide if your job ad is worth their time. Make it easy for the right candidates to recognize the right opportunity by addressing them in the title of your job ad.

Although you might be tempted to use a creative job title such as “Marketing ninja” or a “Sales rockstar”, please resist the urge and stick to the terms your ideal candidate would google when looking for a job. In other words, make your job ad titles search network friendly.

 

Tip #3: Talk to your candidate

Write your job ad in a way you would talk to your friend. Avoid the overly formal tone and ditch writing in the third person. Writing in second person will make your job ad seems more friendly. If you call out the candidate by saying “you”, it will be easier for them to imagine themselves in the role you are offering. Imagine you are having a coffee with your ideal job candidate. How would you present the job you are offering to that specific person? Write it down in a conversational tone. Use these notes as an outline for your job ad!

 

Tip #4: Sell the job

Your job ad has one final mission: convincing your ideal job candidates to apply to your open job position. To increase the chances of that happening, you need to sell your job. Think about it for a moment. Why would your ideal candidate choose to work for your company instead for some of your competitors?

Formulate an appealing employe value proposition and use it as a magnet for attracting candidates. Make sure your job ad is focused on candidates! Instead of writing about your company and what you are looking for, focus on your candidates and how they can benefit from joining your company and your team.

 

Tip #5: Turn your job ad into an eye candy

First make your job title reader friendly. Structure the text in a way that makes it easy to read. Use paragraphs, headings, bullet points and bold the important words. Your job ad should contain a lot of white space. Simplify your text and get rid of all phrases and words which are not absolutely necessary. Keep it short and sweet.

Finally, make your job ad visually attractive and appealing by adding an interesting photo or even a video (if possible). Make sure you use photos and videos of your real employees and everyday life in your office. People want to see the faces of their potential future colleagues!

 

Next step: Promoting your job ad

Now that you’ve written a great job ad, you need to get it in front of your potential candidates’ eyes. Where should you promote your job ad?

When it comes to job posting best practices, you should follow one simple rule: Go wherever your ideal candidate is. What are your ideal candidates’ favorite communication channels and platforms? Which social media network do your ideal candidates prefer? Post your job ads there! Aaaand…that’s a wrap.

Now you know how to write a great job that will stand out and attract the top candidates. So what are you waiting for? Start writing! 🙂

Anja Zojčeska is an HR enthusiast and a Content Marketing Specialist at the recruitment software company TalentLyft. She is curious about the latest marketing trends and passionate about applying them in recruitment.

Anja Zojčeska

https://www.talentlyft.com/en

You Might Also Like

Life as a big playground, with Galina Bankova

Life as a big playground, with Galina Bankova

In this episode of The Culture Voice podcast, we had the privilege to have a great conversation with Galina Bankova, a great entrepreneur on a mission to build something great. Galina defines herself as a “woman on a mission”; the mission to help people find their playground in life.

Communicating your company purpose, with Carolina Fonseca

Communicating your company purpose, with Carolina Fonseca

In this episode Carolina Fonseca explains how important is for a company that its employees are truly aligned with its Culture and Values. She provides very good tips to achieve this, starting by how to communicate your company purpose in a meaningful and authentic way.

Understanding Expats, with Lucyna Bolin

Understanding Expats, with Lucyna Bolin

Being an expat is something really interesting but it implies a lot of challenges too, not only related with the fact of moving to a new country, learning a new language, etc, but also with the intrinsic pressure that expats have to do just well outside of their country.

True motivation at work, with Rico Fernando

True motivation at work, with Rico Fernando

Rico Fernando is co-founder at Bonrepublic, a great tool that helps organizations to increase motivation through a culture of challenge, collective achievements and peer-to-peer recognition. In this great interview Rico shares his great experience as HR Leader and...

Pin It on Pinterest