Advisory Articles

Read the latest advisory articles from Witan Jardine.

Employment legislation - read about the recent Age Discrimination Regulations

Attracting candidates - review our online client branded advertising service

Employment Equality (Age) Regulations October 2006

From October 1st 2006 the new Employment Equality (Age) Regulations will become law in the UK and this will have a significant impact on employees and employers.  Witan Jardine has trained all employees and updated our policies & procedures on how the regulations will affect our approach to clients, candidates and to fellow work colleagues. 

This document tackles the most frequently asked questions on how the new regulations will affect Witan Jardine’s professional and ethical approach to tackling direct & in-direct age discrimination.

How will language in job adverts change?

- Be cautious using language such as young, school leaver, energetic and dynamic. Such language will not be in breach of the new age regulations. However, there is a danger that it can support age discrimination claims.
 
- Be relevant to the particular role and must not discriminate disproportionately against certain groups.
 
- Be careful not to indirectly discriminate when asking for graduates.  For instance, employers with graduate based programmes would be wise to specify that graduates of all ages are welcome and avoid putting a time limit on the period after graduation in which applications may be made.
 
- Strongly consider why length of experience is important.  Employers will need to be sure they can justify this and have not applied it in a way that is discriminatory.  Unless employers are certain they can objectively justify why that specific length of time is required, a safer alternative would be to indicate that candidates must be able to demonstrate competence or expertise in the relevant area.
 
How should employers and recruitment consultancy’s select candidates for a particular role from 1st October 2006?
 
Witan Jardine will treat everyone equally irrespective of sex, sexual orientation, marital status, age, disability, race, colour, religion, ethnic or national origin. We place an obligation upon all staff to respect and act in accordance with our equal opportunity policy.

Witan Jardine shall not discriminate unlawfully when deciding which candidate/temporary worker is submitted for a vacancy or assignment, or in any terms of employment or terms of engagement for temporary workers. Witan Jardine will ensure that each candidate is assessed only in accordance with the candidate's merits, qualification and ability to perform the relevant duties required by the particular vacancy.

Witan Jardine will not accept instructions from clients who indicate an intention to discriminate unlawfully.
 
How should a recruitment consultancy deal with clients who discriminate on the basis of age?

In the event that a client requests that Witan Jardine search for candidates under a certain age or over a certain age, we will explain that the request is a breach of the Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006, unless the client can lawfully justify the request.

Regulation 20 of The Employment Equality Age Regulations 2006 states that it is;
 
‘Unlawful for an employment agency to discriminate in the way it provides work-finding services.
 
A defence is available if the agency: Was acting in reliance upon a statement made by client that their age related requirements would not be unlawful; and Was acting reasonably in relying on that statement’.
 
Can application forms request date of birth? Is this allowed under the new age regulations?

If age data is to be collected for monitoring purposes (equal opportunities) it should be requested on a separate form/section explaining the legitimate reasons for requesting the information.

Witan Jardine will only ask for a candidate’s date of birth as part of our Equal Opportunities Section that will be used for monitoring purposes only.

Consultants will not be permitted to ask candidates for their date of birth in a registration interview.  The interview should focus on specific skills & competencies.
 
The interview should avoid asking personal questions that could have an indirect reference to age.

For further information please do not hesitate to contact the People & Development team at Witan Jardine People&Development@witanjardine.co.uk


Online client branded advertising service
 
In the current competitive climate, employers are experiencing real shortages in the availability of relevant candidates. To manage these demands, recruiters are adopting a variety of methods to attract the top talent.

Witan Jardine has reacted to these changes by developing a new, cost effective Internet advertising service.

We are offering our clients the opportunity to use the Witan Jardine website to advertise their roles and promote their organisation in an area devoted solely to their company.

In partnership with you, we will tailor a Microsite (or a mini website) to your specifications and branding, with in-depth information on your company alongside your logo and corporate colour scheme. There is ample space to carry any job roles we are currently working on in conjunction with you.

Alongside the Microsite, we also offer branded advertising on our website and numerous partner websites. This will allow you to reach a huge audience and increase the number of applications to your current vacancies.

Why advertise online?

More and more people are using the Internet to find work. 43% of people reported that the Internet is their preferred method of looking for a job*. This is compared to 8% applying directly to employers. (*Noras Summer 2005)

We use some of the largest as well as the most specialist websites to attract candidates, and will recommend the most appropriate sites dependent on the requirements of the roles you are advertising.

Client branded online adverts increase response rates by up to 6 times. In every campaign that we have carried this year, the applications have dramatically increased just by carrying a company logo.

You can:
Promote unlimited vacancies registered with Witan Jardine.
Take advantage of our preferential advertising rates.
Reinforce your corporate profile through branding the site.
Receive up to six times the volume of applications, all dealt with by us.
Recruit in a very cost effective way.

To find out more about this service, contact our Client Services Team on 020 7404 4004, or email brandedadvertising@witanjardine.co.uk