AIBU or does your sexual orientation affect your work performance?

[ihatecbeebies]

DP has just graduated and is now searching for jobs on the internet, he was applying for a recruitment consultant job and one of the questions was 'What is your sexual orientation?', and a drop down menu follows with a list of suggestions. Surely this is completely out of order and your sexual orientation should have nothing to do with whether you got the job or not or should affect your ability to perform? DP says he wasn't bothered and applied anyway but am I being unreasonable in thinking that they shouldn't be allowed to ask that type of question or is that quite common and acceptable?

Its so they can make sure they have a diverse workforce... same as asking about your religion etc

I think it should matter not a jot!
I've never heard of that being asked before, and I don't think it should be permitted.

It is illegal to ask this! Are you sure it was a genuine recruitment consultant?

It's often put there by HR for equality purposes, but the line managers are supposed not to see the answers.

It was on a graduate website, for Adeco, apparently it is the worlds largest recruitment company, I thought it was illegal to ask too

Yeah in the UK Stewie

Was the question part of the application form or on a separate equal opps form?

There are a few jobs where your sexual orientation would be relevant - but not many, and they would need to be covered by the exemptions in the disability legislation.

Usually, people are asked as part of equal opportunities monitoring. The information is kept separate from the application, so that those doing the actual recruiting won't know your sexual orientation. HR get the monitoring forms and use the information to check that they are attracting and recruiting minority groups in roughly the proportion they exist in the general population (way easier to do this with ethnic minorities than sexual minorities) and to plan for welfare provision etc.

That's the theory, anyway.

They can ask, along with religion, ethnic origin etc but should make clear this won't be used as part of the recruitment process.