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?

dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/business-english/corporate_2

I wouldn't say abject horror but I certainly agree that this is worth highlighting.

Congratulations on being offered the job - Could you consider saying to HR something of the lines of "I'm delighted to be offered the job, but I have a concern about the covert sexism of the business scenarios in the online test I did. I am not sure I'd be happy if the company isn't wholeheartedly committed to equality and diversity. Can you tell me more about the business culture in this regard - is it taken seriously?"

If they say you are being silly, I would definitely consider not taking the job.

I must be missing something,because I really can't see the issue.

Would you have thought it was sexist if the only two people in these fictional scenarios that displayed negative behaviour were men? Or would you have just got on with the test thinking no more of it?

What actual effect is this test going to have on women? None.

It's a non issue.

I think it tells you a lot about their commitment to diversity, especially as this will have come from, or have been brought in by, the HR dept - and they are the team who traditionally 'own' Diversity and Inclusion policy and practice in a large corporation. You would usually expect HR-y stuff to be almost overly PC (ugh, hate that word but is the best way of getting my point over).

So if HR is bringing the sexist, then you can bet your boots the rest of the company is too...

BrokenSunglasses

Would you have thought it was sexist if the only two people in these fictional scenarios that displayed negative behaviour were men?

I would have.

I think I would have still picked up on it if the positive behaviour scenarios were all attributed to men (or all to women) and the negative behaviours scenarios were worded gender non-specific.

Influence does not have to work at a conscious level; the marketing industry is practically built on that principle.