What Are Examples Of Gender Discrimination At Work

What are examples of gender discrimination at work that occur before anyone is even employed? Recruitment carries more of it than most organisations expect, and it leaves the least evidence.

• Advertisement wording. Terms like strong, aggressive or dominant skew applicant pools measurably.
• Screening on continuous service. Treating a career gap as a negative without asking about it disadvantages people who have taken carer’s leave.
• Interview questions. Asking about children, partners or plans to start a family, which is asked unevenly.
• Assessing fit. Unstructured impressions formed in the room, then rationalised afterwards.
• Salary history. Setting an offer from a previous salary carries any earlier gap into the new role.

Structured criteria agreed before the shortlist is drawn, and applied by more than one person, is the single most effective control at this stage.

The Australian Human Rights Commission covers recruitment obligations. This is general information rather than legal advice, and obligations vary by state and territory.

See Sentrient’s EEO training course and workplace policy templates.