Photos with applications
Paul in Cannon Beach
4,703 Posts
Since Frank brought up references, let me throw another one out there. I am thinking of having our summer staff appicants include a photo with their application.
Photos would not be used to make hiring decisions but would be helpful for other reasons: creating our staff directory, picking up applicants at the airport, etc.
I know the general HR concern about requesting photos with applications but I have never really understood it. Its fairly customary to request a personal interview. What's the difference? When a person comes in for a personal interview you see their skin color, weight, gender, etc.
Technically I could ask them to send a photo after they have been hired but my experience with this age group is that they are not always good with follow up requests. My preference would be to get the photo from them right at the time they are applying.
Tell me why I am wrong to even consider this?
Photos would not be used to make hiring decisions but would be helpful for other reasons: creating our staff directory, picking up applicants at the airport, etc.
I know the general HR concern about requesting photos with applications but I have never really understood it. Its fairly customary to request a personal interview. What's the difference? When a person comes in for a personal interview you see their skin color, weight, gender, etc.
Technically I could ask them to send a photo after they have been hired but my experience with this age group is that they are not always good with follow up requests. My preference would be to get the photo from them right at the time they are applying.
Tell me why I am wrong to even consider this?
Comments
My guess is this - someone, at sometime, will assume you didn't hire them because they were ugly. Or fat. Or had too many zits. Or the wrong skin color. Or a turban. On the other hand, if you were interviewing them in person, you would see all that anyway. So it's a calculated risk - just like asking someone for their DOB. You can't get in trouble purely for asking for a DOB. It's whether you make an unfair decision based on it... Or, rather, the perception that you made an unfair decision based on it.
Your reasons for asking for the photos is perfectly noble, but someone is bound to twist it into something else.
Besides, if you suspect they won't send photos as a follow-up, what will make them more responsible to send them with apps? Will you inform potential applicants that if no photo is attached, then they will not be considered?
I think that applicants are more likely to include a photo with the application (online) because they are in that "mode" where they are willing to do what they are asked to do. Once hired, I've found that the response to these kinds of requests drops significantly.
In the past, we were taking their photos during staff orientation. That was a bit of a hassle for us and the staff members usually didn't enjoy it either. My thought is let them send me a photo of themselves that they like. Its fairly simple now that everyone has digital cameras and cell phones with cameras.
Yes, if we happen to have an applicant from a protected class who is not hired they could point to the photo but wouldn't they need more than just that to demonstrate discrimination? Especially if HR retained the photo and it was not distributed to the hiring supervisor?
Like Frank's reference post, I am questioning what I was trained (don't accept photos with applications). Yeah, I am a rebel like that.
In my former life we discovered a new photo lab (of all places) was taking pictures of every applicant and placing it with their application. Our legal dept. didn't just say no, they said HECK NO! We had them immediately remove and destroy all of the pictures. The hiring managers had their hearts in the right place in that they had literally hundreds of applicants and they just wanted the pictures to help them better remember the applicants.
In my present life, we take a photo of every new hire as part of the process of completing all of the new hire paperwork.
I can't wait to see what my future life will be like...
Have their been any legal cases where a person was able to prove discrimination solely based on providing a photo with their application?
The photo thing, like the reference thing, has probably been cited as a contributing factor only.
Unfortunately, in our world, that alone is enough to create work for thousands of HR consultants, labor attorneys, and best practices trainers. That, in turn, creates a misperception even among well-educated or well-trained HR professionals that such practices are unlawful.
Nothing gets me going faster than another HR pro telling me something is illegal purely because someone read in a newsletter that it could be mildly harmful in one case out of a million.
I remember years ago when a photo would come in with an application and I would practically treat it like kryptonite. Discard it and keep my eyes closed lest I somehow see that the applicant's skin color and body shape.
Tell you what, Paul. You go ahead and experiment with requesting photos with resumes and tell us how it works for you. I hope you don't attract any of those PC types who love to prey on employers who flirt with the edge. x}>
We'll see how that works. Thanks for everyone's comments.
I'm a little late, but ditto on what the others said. Setting yourself up for perception-based complaints is not worth the convenience of having photographs ready-made for all new hires.
Isn't there a law against old people going out and trying to kill themselves on kids toys? If not, there should be!
I thought he didn't wear a helmet because he was afraid it would mess up his hair?