Supermarket job application form asking about sexual orientation- do they have quotas??

[Smallhorse]

Otherwise why on earth ask?

I just don't understand why knowing with whom I like to get my sexual kicks has ANY bearing on how good I am at the work I do.

It doesn't.

I am sure they have a reason.
Personally I would leave it blank, keep them guessing.
I don't it would effect your application.

Personally I would leave it blank, keep them guessing.

They're not going to be guessing anything, it will just go down as "information not available".

The won’t consider whether or not you’re gay when deciding about hiring you. That sheet is removed from your application and used for monitoring, so they can see how diverse their workforce is.

They're not going to be guessing anything, it will just go down as "information not available".

I'd rather it went down as "information refused". But that's just my mania for accuracy and not hiding facts .

I'd rather it went down as "information refused".

But you don't know if the applicant is refusing or just incapable of filling out a form. You'd be surprised at how many fall into the latter!

It's not a bad thing. It's not kept with the rest of your application and it's used to discriminate. It's useful as it means that a company can see if they're not getting out to a big enough demographic. JasperKarat explained it much better than I can!

As another poster said above about the Police, it happens, and it happens in all emergency services. You are more likely to get a job if you are female, gay or from an ethnic minority. This is a fact.

I'd rather it went down as "information refused". But that's just my mania for accuracy and not hiding facts

Again no one gives a shit if you don't fill it in, or why you haven't if you haven't. Or what you put if you do.

Its for reporting purposes. I work in HR for one of the big supermarkets we take that info record it elsewhere, with your name attached or any details attached to it and it never goes anywhere near you application again.

If you don't fill it in, great....less work for the recruitment team to do.

I’m a police officer and get involved in the recruitment of new officers. We don’t get to see which boxes the applicants have ticked, it is not a fact that you are more likely to get a job if you are from a minority’s. We have to score all application forms and interviews on content.

Stop talking shit and quoting it as fact.

I’m a police officer and get involved in the recruitment of new officers. We don’t get to see which boxes the applicants have ticked, it is not a fact that you are more likely to get a job if you are from a minority’s. We have to score all application forms and interviews on content.

Stop talking shit and quoting it as fact.

I didn't quote anything as fact. I recounted something that happened and suggested 2 reasons, 1 being a coincidence, the other being something more sinister. Having no experience of the process i expressed a hope that it was coincidence. If your account is correct then i'm happier.

Thanks for your explanation, but take your vitriol elsewhere.

Everanewbie it was LeSquigh who stated it was fact that minorities are more likely to get jobs. Apologies or not making it clear that it wasn’t directed at you.

But as for your post, yes that would have been a coincidence. I know lots of people who didn’t get in the first couple of times they applied. People generally get used to the process and learn from feedback.

Right, you are more likely to get a job in the police if you're an ethnic minority. That's why I see soooooo many ethnic minority police officers right? I mean bloody hell, I live in London of all places and don't think I've ever seen ONE.

You would be well within your rights not to answer if you don't want to as it's not compulsory info, but PPs are right - it's for equality monitoring purposes only, and invariably not able to be accessed outside of the HR department.

I'd leave it blank. I've seen some forms with a 'prefer not to say' box but I'd prefer a 'none of your bloody business' option.

They ask so that data can be checked to make sure one group isn't being discriminated against. You don't have to answer.

I've seen some forms with a 'prefer not to say' box but I'd prefer a 'none of your bloody business' option.

hence my point about distinguishing between "refusal" and "not given" ...

I've seen some forms with a 'prefer not to say' box but I'd prefer a 'none of your bloody business' option.

Why?

I've seen some forms with a 'prefer not to say' box but I'd prefer a 'none of your bloody business' option.

Why?

Why not ? Especially if lack of such an option is then fed into a "No one has ever objected" narrative as a way of trying to skew debate ....

Don’t people understand discrimination
As a woman do you think you’ve never been discriminated against?
It’s data analysis in big companies basically

Do you think that smalll companies do this?

So many people on this thread have given useful insights as to why it happens. And yet others think it’s just because they want to give more trans and gays and blacks jobs, I mean

@LeSquigh Happens at universities too.

Universities? Is that why there are approximately 100 black professors out of 20,000?

Happens at universities too.

It's where I first encountered it ... 1984 ... (had an argument with the Student Union officer then, too )

I refuse to answer it. I answer all the other discrimination questions.

They can see my sex, ethnicity etc when they interview me. I can see the importance of documenting these to make sure they aren't discriminating.

But noone has any clue who I am shagging, or not, when they interview me. So there is no opportunity to discriminate against me on this basis. So I don't see that they need the information tbh.

They can see my sex, ethnicity etc when they interview me

Not really sure I want anybody judging my ethnicity ... isn't that the entire point of "self identification" ?