Bigotry
Bigotry is defined as the mindset of a person who is stubbornly devoted to his or her own opinions and prejudices, regardless of whether or not they are true. If you are a recruiter for your company, you may experience bigotry within yourself, even if it is involuntary and unconscious. Bigotry relates heavily to both racial profiling and discrimination, as they all involve the unfair treatment of another party due to uncontrollable circumstances.
Racial profiling is defined as the use of racial or ethnic characteristics in predicting the behavior of a person. For example, a stereotype that you hold of Hispanics may cause you, as a recruiter, to avoid hiring a Hispanic applicant. Most people would agree that racial profiling and bigotry, along with workplace discrimination, have no place in the modern workplace. Sadly, the modern workplace still experiences an innumerable amount of bigotry and racial profiling, especially in the form of workplace discrimination.
Thirty percent of blacks and Hispanics claim to experience racial profiling and bigotry in the workplace, while homosexuals, women, and certain religious groups also fall victim to workplace discrimination. Muslims around the nation are being discriminated against; some are even fired for praying during the workday.
The presence of racial profiling and bigotry during your hiring process may cause you direct harm, especially if those discriminated against file a lawsuit against you. Here are some tips to follow to avoid discrimination in the hiring process:
1. Review the federal and state discrimination laws before you hire a new applicant.
These laws can be found in the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. You may also check the Attorney General’s office of your state for more information pertaining to fair hiring processes.
2. When choosing possible interviewers, pick a diverse group.
To avoid bigotry, racial profiling, or discrimination, pick a diverse group of interviewers. Choose from a group consisting of different ages, religious backgrounds, races, and levels of experience to the best of your ability. This will limit the amount of bigotry and racial profiling in your hiring process.
3. Avoid requiring demographic information on your application.
Your company’s HR office can help you with this. Remove items such a gender, age, and ethnic background from the required information on an application. Doing so will further prevent any chance of racial profiling when choosing possible interviewees.
4. Ensure that you state the reason for rejecting an applicant.
Applicants may feel discriminated against when they are rejected for a job. Comfort them by letting them know the reason they did not make it. Giving honest information such as this will at least reduce your chances of being hit with a discrimination lawsuit.
Bigotry and racial profiling are both problems that are tough to identify and stop. As the recruiter at your company, it is in your job description to remain unbiased and fair. Follow these tips to the best of your ability to avoid discrimination in the workplace. After all, nobody wants to be labeled as a bigot and a racist.