West Yorkshire Businesses Should Review Recruitment Procedures, Says Legal Expert

This weeks launch of BBC-2 series The Apprentice has prompted Irwin Mitchell to issue a warning to businesses, as they leave themselves wide open to litigation if they fail to follow correct recruitment procedures.

(PRWEB) February 27, 2005 -- This weeks launch of BBC-2 series The Apprentice has prompted Irwin Mitchell to issue a warning to businesses, as they leave themselves wide open to litigation if they fail to follow correct recruitment procedures.

Contestants in the series complete a different task each week, designed to demonstrate dynamism and entrepreneurial flair, as they compete for a 100,000, year-long job with self-made tycoon and AMSTRAD chief executive Sir Alan Sugar.

Fourteen budding Bransons began the quest in the first programme and one will be eliminated each week until the winner is decided.

Simon Coates, national head of employment law at Irwin Mitchell (IM), said: While putting potential recruits through their paces over an extended period makes entertaining television, most firms obviously lack the time and money to do this.

For that reason, traditional face-to-face interviews are one of the most widespread and effective ways of selecting the right people for vacancies. But many bosses fail to understand it isnt just the interviewee that can be under the spotlight at this time.

Companies must ensure their managers understand the potential pitfalls and have received proper training before they start putting the questions, if they want to protect themselves from discrimination claims which can be enormously expensive and time consuming.

Current legislation, for example, does not cap the level of compensation awarded in discrimination cases."

Mr Coates outlined the following brief checklist, containing the main dos and donts when it comes to interviewing potential staff:
• Process all applicants in the same way, regardless of age, sex, race or qualifications.
• Ask questions about the jobs requirements and not about personal matters, such as marriage plans or family intentions.
• Keep records of interviews, showing why applicants were or were not appointed, for use as evidence if a claim goes to a tribunal.
• Never make separate lists of male and female or married and single applicants, as this could be viewed as an indication of discrimination.
• Dont make jokes that may be construed as sexist, racist or otherwise biased.
• Keep records for equal opportunities monitoring purposes so that you can respond if accused of discrimination.

Mr Coates concluded: These points may seem like pure common sense, but its surprising how many well-intentioned employers leave themselves open to legal action by ignoring them."

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