Women at the Helm - Planters Development Bank

SME FocusHumanResourcesHow not to discriminatewhen you’re hiringBe fair and square to get the right people in your team!By Portia SilvaScreening and selecting your office staff should alwaysbe treated as serious business because the hiring processis considered the gateway to the success of anentrepreneur. Employers are flocked by job seekersgrabbing every possible opportunity since careerads are made available almost anywhere: fromthose published in national broadsheets to thoseposted via the internet. That is why employersare also burdened by the responsibility tocarefully collect then select which individuals toinvite for an interview.Until employers finally find the “perfect fit”for the company’s openings, they are obligedto entertain applicants regardless of physicalappearance, age, gender, race, religion, andother personal preferences for long as thesecandidates meet the minimum skills required of thejob. Some companies however fail to ensure equal workopportunities for potential employees, consequently (andperhaps, unconsciously) violating The Philippine Labor Code onethical hiring practices.Dissecting the grounds of employmentdiscriminationUnder the Philippine Labor Code, it is unlawful for employers andcompanies to reject or reduce employment status of their staff dueto certain invalid preferences entailed by the post. They are hiringand promotions that are largely based on tangible qualificationssuch as attractiveness, facial proportions, and skin color. Improperhiring practices can also be observed when businesses declinecandidates loosely on their perceived personal well-being like beinga single parent, being a person with disability, or having histories oftreatable medical conditions.The Labor Code specifically works in tandem with Republic Act No.7192, otherwise known as the Women in Developing and NationBuilding Act, which focuses on gender equality asserting women’srights in being employed alongside their male counterparts.While these laws and rights exist to assert equality in all jobopportunities here in the country, most employers are still inneed of labor law information and orientations. Unknown tomany, discrimination in hiring practices can be detrimental tothe corporation’sfinancial returns aswell as to the team’sproductivity. On theflipside, it can alsobe advantageous forthe corporation to beselectively choosy ifcarefully evaluated.The good andthe bad ofdiscriminationThe negative implicationsof employment discriminationcan reap adverse effects for theemployer and can possibly affect theexisting workforce’s perception of thecompany. Listed below are among someof the bad outcomes produced bydiscriminatory practices when hiring.SME | 10