What would be the one thing that put you off hiring someone?

[greyrabbits]

Of all the things that would put you off giving someone a job, what’s the one thing that’s a definite no thanks.

Anyone who sat in the interview biting their fingernails. If they are that nervous they wouldn't be any good to me.

I can remember back in the 1980s going for interviews and having to take out my earrings in my second ear piercings. No one would even notice these days.

Heard someone did a remote interview on Teams and the guy sat in front of a Nazi flag. He didn’t get the job.

Haha true!

Yes - it’s not really individuals who buy our services it’s companies. You put your best foot forward to win a tender - after you’ve won the work - some don’t mind how you dress - most do though and some still insist regardless of how long they know us and how much they trust us on suits and ties - I expect these clients would struggle with visible tattoos and pink hair - are they old fashioned? sure but we can’t afford to lose work on that basis - if you can lucky you!

I think 1 or 2 discrete tattoos is fine but people who have 1 tattoo after another are often addicted to the high having a tattoo gives them and are unlikely to be a calm stable member of a team.

I had no idea there was still so much stigma around tattoos! I don’t have them myself, but wow!

I wouldn’t employ anyone with a face tattoo because it doesn’t exactly scream employability but other than that 🤷🏻‍♀️

Is it 1949 where you live?

So you wouldn't hire a racist but then you wouldn't hire an Irish person using Irish English perfectly correctly either? OK....

That’s a hilarious sweeping generalization.

Sorry Mr Surgeon, I really really don’t want YOU to perform this life saving operation that you’re highly trained to do. You’ve got a couple tattoos and therefore must be unstable.

Ah, you'd fucking despise me then.

What a miserable life you must lead if THESE are the things that would put you off hiring someone. There are much worse things out there.

I take pride in my coloured hair, tattoos and stating my pronouns.

Oops. Did I say pride? Quick, don't forget to lynch me!

As you can see, I also take pride in trying to wind people up. Only those who deserve it, though 😉

I think you just proved Outside’s point - you’re more focused on your hair, tattoos and pronouns than doing the job. Teams need to get on and it sounds like you are spoiling for a good argument. You’re at work to do a job - not to promote your lifestyle. I’ll say it again - the bringing your whole self to work thing is a bad idea, it’s not needed. Keep your private life private - as colleagues we don’t need to know who you sleep with, vote for or which football team you support.
Edited to say that was for StevieAnnSenMum

Is that meant to be directed at me?

If it is, here is my response: I am more than capable of doing a job and getting along with people who have opposing views to me, as long as I don't feel like I'm being put in danger by their views.

But my tattoos, hair colour and sexual orientation/pronouns are part of who I am. They are part of my identity, for a multitude of reasons. They're specifically saying they wouldn't hire me if I stated those things - isn't not hiring someone based on their sexual orientation or gender identity discrimination?

Slagging off previous employer. Can't believe how many senior candidates do it!

Waffling and not reading panel cues that it's time to stfu.

I would never, ever have thought that wearing a quick spray of perfume would lose me an interview or be a problem in a job.

Maybe only if they said so? I'm retired so not up on employment law. Would they not just say 'Jane Doe wasn't a good fit' rather than specifics.

Sometimes employers make it blatantly obvious that they've decided not to hire someone due to their gender identity or sexual orientation. They don't even have to say it - it can even be the smallest thing such as a demeanor change once you mention it to them (for example, if they ask due to equality reasons)

I think the tattoos thing is most of the time is because current employees don’t respect those with tattoos, complain how ugly the tattoos are (when tattooed colleagues are not about) or had a tough time with a former employee who was covered with tattoos.

I know it’s tarring people with the same brush.

Yes discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity is not lawful. But tattoos and hair colour are not protected characteristics.

Also what is it that you mean about being “put in danger” by their views? Can you elaborate?

I didn't claim that tattoos or coloured hair were protected characteristics. In fact, I specifically said that it's discrimination to not hire someone based on gender identity or sexual orientation. That's the only thing I put a (factual) claim to.

Thanks. I haven’t been involved in staff recruitment for years so it’s interesting.

For example, if it did somehow come up in conversation that I am pansexual and not cisgender (though I'm not sure which gender I do identify as), and they started saying or doing things that made me feel threatened (for example, following me around and asking me deeply personal questions about whether I like to give it to people in the arsehole, or if I like fanny more than dick, and were harassing me if I chose not to answer (and yes, this has happened to me before, albeit not in a work setting)), I would feel like I was being put in danger.

Obviously not all employers are like that. I've worked for some wonderfully progressive employers. But I have also been asked what my gender identity and my sexual orientation is at interviews (again, for equality purposes) and when I've told them truthfully, they've given me a disgusted look and then I get the email "on this occasion, you were unsuccessful" etc. I know why I've been unsuccessful, but I don't have the energy to fight it. I hope that makes sense. I don't relay things very well over text

If they kept saying 'like' and if they used the upswing at the end of sentences. As if every sentence is, like, a question?

These kind of conversations are not appropriate at work regardless of sexual orientation. your sexual preference is your own business. We clearly have very different experiences of the workplace.