To complain about recruitment process

[NewJobMaybe]

As part of a recruitment process I was required to undertake an online "situational judgement test" comprising 20 business scenarios, covering issues like resourcing, management buy out, financing etc in the context of organisation under performance to which I had to record my response.

19 of the scenarios involved senior employees, specified as directors, country managers or board members, in these scenarios the gender was either not specified or male. No "bad" behaviour was ascribed to these individuals. Although one scenario alluded to a difficult relationship due to a past business deal.

In amongst these scenarios was one involving 2 women. They were not senior, although one had carried out crucial work.

One had had an affair with the others husband and so the cheated wife reacted by sabotaging the OW's crucial work resulting in significant damage to operations.

I'm so tempted to complain but they're going to think me a loon aren't they?

[TheFallenNinja]

Sounds barking mad to me, either a big corporate or government?

[Numberlock]

Depends if you got the job or not and if they are now your employers.

[Tee2072]

What's the complaint? I don't get it.

[NewJobMaybe]

The complaint is that in a series of scenarios that details the actions and roles of at least 60 individuals the only two individuals to whom reprehensible behaviour (the affair and sabotage) is attributed are also the only two women.

I just found it bizarre

[Tee2072]

I think you're over thinking it.

[VisualCharades]

yeah I'd be put off too. Its a truism but you can tell so much about a firm from their recruitment processes

[NewJobMaybe]

They are a huge global corporate if that makes a difference

[Numberlock]

Did you get offered the job?

[LumpySpacePrincessOhMyGlob]

That is very misogynistic, you are not over reacting at all.

[Cordial]

They will more than likely have bought the test in from a third party and often the question bank is randomised but I still think they should be interested to hear your feedback.

[CheeseEater]

It sounds a bit unusual that it would specify whether the situation involved a woman or man so I think you should email them - believe me, yours will not be the looniest complaint they've heard! Sometimes these tests are finalised way too late before the recruitment starts (especially if it's mass recruitment i.e. graduates?) so it could just be an oversight or last minute change that wasn't picked up. Generally big companies are very cautious about their recruitment materials and what impression people get from them so they will most likely reword this question.

It shouldn't affect your application at all but I would be tempted to wait until you have an offer before you send the complaint, just in case...

[sleeplessbunny]

That sounds pretty awful, I would complain. A big corporate with a reputation to uphold should take it seriously if they value their reputation, and I wouldn't expect it to have any bearing on whether they make you an offer.

Having said that, if it were me I might wait until I heard from them just in case... (chicken)

[sleeplessbunny]

The scenario of 2 women fighting over a man.... who the hell wrote that???? makes me want to kill

Because that is obviously what happens when a HUSBAND is unfaithful. Of course he is completely blameless

grrrrrrrrrrrr

good job it wasn't me taking the test. I would have been so angry i wouldn't have been capable of answering the rest of the questions.

[Trills]

Was it just too tricky for them to write a "slept with other person's partner" storyline without specifying gender and allowing gendered pronouns and words (e.g."husband")?

I do think it sounds as if you have an interesting job, if that belongs in your list of potential scenarios where you would have to deal with the fallout.

[WMittens]

Corporation is the noun, 'corporate' is an adjective.

But anyway, yes that seems sexist to me but I'm not sure it would reflect on the company - might they have outsourced that recruitment test? I think that's quite likely if it's an online test, possibly a white-labelled product from an HR provider.

[Trills]

I do think that "two employees behaving badly for personal reasons outside of work" is a good test scenario, but it could have been described differently.

[MiddleRageSpread]

From an employers pov I would never put in a gender factor like that,

And I would want to know if it had been included wholesale from a bought in package because it definite affects the company's brand. I would point it out as feedback, rather than complain.

[attheendoftheday]

I think you should definitely point it out so it can be altered! I assume.the company hasn't noticed, but that's really not on.

[LoveWine]

Ugh go have a drink and a lie down if things like that are making you "want to kill"...over thinking much?

[KhunZhoop]

I'd be tempted to send the link to Private Eye, myself. AND Everyday Sexism.

[NewJobMaybe]

wmitten "corporate" is in fairly standard use as a noun these days, especially in speech.

Khun unfortunately no link and even if there was one I signed an NDA.

I have been offered the job, I'm not certain I'm going to take it but I think I'd be more likely to comment if I did take it.

I have been suprised how polarized responses (particularly in RL) have been: abject horror, to being told I need to get over myself.