Recruitment agencies in the UK have regularly discriminated against job seekers from ethnic minority backgrounds, according to research by a business campaign group. Race for Opportunity found that casual racial discrimination by agencies when dealing with job seekers from a black, Asian and minority ethnic background is hindering candidates in securing interviews.
The research is based on interviews with more than 2500 job seekers over a 12-month period. During that time, only 29% of minority candidates were offered a job compared to 44% of white candidates when going through recruitment agencies.
This problem starts with a significantly lower proportion of BAME applicants being invited to interview when applying through a recruitment agency - just over half of BAME applicants (57%) compared to nearly three quarters of white applicants (73%) reached this stage.
Sandra Kerr, director at Race for Opportunity, said: “Tough economic times and rising unemployment levels mean that the current job market is extremely competitive, with a high number of applications for every role. If BAME candidates are not being treated fairly by the recruiters at all stages of the job application process, then they are at a distinct disadvantage from the outset.”
It is perhaps unsurprising that BAME applicants are less likely to go through a recruitment agency again than a white job seeker, citing poor initial contact and responsiveness and being put forward for roles that do not match their skills set, says RfO.
In fact, BAME applicants are more likely to apply directly to employers (91%) than white applicants (88%). This approach is worthwhile, as employers do not display the same level of disparity as recruitment agencies. In the past 12 months, 29% of white candidates and 29% of BAME candidates secured a job role through this channel.
When it comes down to deciding which agencies and employers to approach, evidence of diverse role models and openly welcoming applications from diverse candidates makes a big difference to the decision making process for nearly half of BAME applicants (47%).
Lack of support and evidence of diverse ways of working aren’t the only aspects of job seeking that concern BAME candidates. The interview stage throws up its own challenges and more than a third of BAME candidates would prefer alternative assessment methods (39%). Further, despite BAME applicants feeling adequately prepared for their last interview, with 66% saying they had sufficient knowledge about the industry and the potential employer, there remained low conversion to interview or job offer.
For more information visit www.bitc.org.uk
- UKAsian Staff
