Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

Feminism: chat

Original poster

Are all HR questionnaires this bonkers these days?

57 replies

NoCloudsAllowed · 17/01/2024 10:03

These were my options for gender and sexual orientation on a job application the other day. Is this typical?! It's been a while since I was job hunting.

Are all HR questionnaires this bonkers these days?
OP posts:
New posts on this thread. Refresh page
BruceAndNosh · 18/01/2024 00:03

menopausalmare · 17/01/2024 11:36

Honestly, I would answer 'none of your business'.

I was looking for the "none of your bloody business" box to tick!

RapidOnsetGenderCritic · 17/01/2024 23:59

RethinkingLife · 17/01/2024 16:25

On the forms I've looked at, even though selecting 'Other' shouldn't require an explanation, it invariably brings up a mandatory response box to enter your own description of 'other'.

Show quote history

You could select ‘Other’ and then type ‘Other’ to clarify.

Allthegoodnamesarechosen · 17/01/2024 23:58

CloudPop · 17/01/2024 19:15

What the hell could "other" cover

People who are so special that they just can’t fit into all those boring, restrictive, conventional identités on that list.
I bet they would accuse me of being ‘other phobic’ if they met me. They would possibly be right.
🤭🫣🤫

tothesea · 17/01/2024 23:44

DH was applying for a mechanic job and he had to tick which gender identity he most closely identified with. Male Female Trans NB
Not even which one you are but which you most closely identify with.
Utter nonsense.

TempestTost · 17/01/2024 23:37

menopausalmare · 17/01/2024 11:36

Honestly, I would answer 'none of your business'.

Me too, but I have heard people doing hiring here in Canada say they not only see this stuff, they bin those who choose not to answer because they need to hit diversity targets and they assume those people probably straight and white.

MrsAvocet · 17/01/2024 23:37

I'd be looking for the "prefer not to work here" box unless I was actually starving or something.

onyx12 · 17/01/2024 23:26

oh, the joys of a tickbox, what a load of nonsense. i sometimes have fun with these diversity boxes - randomly ticking whatever takes my fancy. the only box generally missing is "human with a personality" - which I would tick 100%

allthevitamins · 17/01/2024 19:21

HR person here.

What a load of absolute rubbish. I'd resign before sanctioning this absolute captured claptrap.

All we actually need to know is

Do you have the right to work in the U.K.?
What was your sex at birth? (If it's a sex-specific role). I think there is also a sex requirement on the HMRC payroll form.

We need to make sure that we're not so open-minded that our brains fall out.

CloudPop · 17/01/2024 19:15

What the hell could "other" cover

HelenaTranscart · 17/01/2024 19:05

Had similar in a recent application to a UK company. Annoyed that Gender ID (with list of ridiculous options) and sexual orientation were mandatory although there were options for prefer not to say. Makes me paranoid that it'll cause bias. I'm sure only biological sex is mandatory to monitor under equality act. 'Human Remains' department obviously captured

RethinkingLife · 17/01/2024 18:42

BotterMon · 17/01/2024 18:32

I'd phone HR and ask them to explain each one to me. They wouldn't have a clue. Just don't answer?

For most online forms, you have to answer mandated questions or you can't select 'next' to progress through the form and complete it.

BotterMon · 17/01/2024 18:32

I'd phone HR and ask them to explain each one to me. They wouldn't have a clue. Just don't answer?

EmpressaurusOfTheScathingTinsel · 17/01/2024 18:24

The EDI form where I work has all the usual crap but the only compulsory questions are nationality and sex at birth. There’s a note saying something about statuory requirements for those two.

Seainasive · 17/01/2024 18:15

I’ve applied for loads of jobs in the last couple of years and yes most of them are as bonkers as this. Not really something you can argue about when you need a job to pay the mortgage and feed the family 🥲.

yepmeagain · 17/01/2024 16:37

I'd select 'other' and make them scratch their heads trying to work out what they had missed...

RethinkingLife · 17/01/2024 16:25

Mochudubh · 17/01/2024 16:11

I think on that form, I'd just click "other" and leave it at that.

On the forms I've looked at, even though selecting 'Other' shouldn't require an explanation, it invariably brings up a mandatory response box to enter your own description of 'other'.

Mochudubh · 17/01/2024 16:11

I think on that form, I'd just click "other" and leave it at that.

HappyQuinn · 17/01/2024 13:29

AppleDumplingWithCustard · 17/01/2024 13:20

Well I’m a run of the mill heterosexual but they can fuck off if they think I’d tick cisgender.

Well, unless it lets you pick multiple answers, you can't anyway - you're either 'female' or 'cisgender'...

Catsanfan · 17/01/2024 13:25

@AppleDumplingWithCustard I thought that as well

AppleDumplingWithCustard · 17/01/2024 13:20

Well I’m a run of the mill heterosexual but they can fuck off if they think I’d tick cisgender.

Trisolaris · 17/01/2024 13:15

Honestly, most of the time these are just copied from some form an HR person found on the internet. They are so often full of mistakes and they don’t really know why they are collecting it.

As an HR consultant, the number of times I have advised people on this and they can’t tell me why they are collecting this data and what they plan to do with it is alarming. There is just a feeling that they ‘need to do this to be inclusive’.

Particularly noticeable in small organisations. Pointing out to people that if you include this on surveys you will often make people personally identifiable and so they feel they can’t answer honestly. It’s amazing how this just doesn’t occur to people.

Grilledsquid · 17/01/2024 13:08

LassoOfTruth · 17/01/2024 13:07

Make sure to tick the most bizarre one and they’ll automatically hire you to fulfill their DEI quotas 😂

Not in UK but it could be quite interesting if they did and people knew🙈

Original poster
NoCloudsAllowed · 17/01/2024 13:08

SudokuMania · 17/01/2024 13:04

Did they give descriptions/definitions of each of them?

Nope

OP posts:
LassoOfTruth · 17/01/2024 13:07

Make sure to tick the most bizarre one and they’ll automatically hire you to fulfill their DEI quotas 😂

Swipe left for the next trending thread