Introduction
Company, Vision, Mission, and the Purpose of Existence
Job, place, the position are the questions of every young professional interested in a professional career. The choice of a job in a professional field often determines further personal and career development. Nowadays, there are enough professions that require both low and high qualifications, but a job is always a job and not a subject of humiliation or other social conflicts. Nevertheless, discrimination on the career ladder remains a hot topic. It is reflected in recruitment issues; choosing candidates for a position in the company is a burning issue. Do men get an advantage in job selection? Do women face the same problems as men? Are there statistical differences in gender preferences?
The questions worry many researchers about social mechanisms. Sociologists and psychologists are concerned that women continue to face discrimination in hiring practices and suggest new tactics and techniques reduce social inequalities (Patterson, 320). Do men have an advantage, and why is this happening? This question concerns me as a researcher, which is why this topic was chosen for my term paper.
The paper will aim to identify the mechanisms of gender discrimination based on various reasons and establish the factors that may influence the change in the situation. The article is relevant due to the increasing frequency of research on gender discrimination, and therefore it remains a necessary topic for society to reflect on. It is also worth paying attention to the growing number of professions in which both men and women are interested and determining whether discrimination is occurring in new areas or is a relic of the past.
Background on Ethical and Unethical Practices
Problem Identified
The analysis of statistical data on the ratio of women to men in companies shows different results. When comparing technical and highly specialized companies, men prevail. However, companies in the social segments (e.g., psychologists, sociologists, teachers, etc.) prefer women. What is the reason for this distribution? Probably the influence of stereotypes and traditional attitudes permeates companies in different ways.
Arguments
There are several independent studies from which the phenomenon of discrimination can be judged. They can be contradictory due to different approaches to research methodology. The study “When Gender Discrimination Is Not About Gender” focused on a statistical analysis of employers’ choices of prospective employees based on a test they made. Candidates were asked to solve a two-part test: men and women did equally well in the easy part, the questions focused on mathematics men fared better. Employers in 43% of cases chose men, despite the high results of women in the simple part (Coffman, 23). When researchers excluded gender, employers also looked predominantly at men (37%), this time avoiding odd-numbered months. The results were presented as a postulate that discrimination exists not only based on gender but also personal beliefs.
The study also demonstrated other results. Women were found to favor other women as candidates. It was influenced by belonging to a lower demographic group, thus being a common trait (Coffman, 45). Such a finding is not new, but the confirmation of this fact by statistics allows us to establish that women, on average, are more empathetic to all social groups.
According to Pedull’s research, discrimination affects both sexes. It is especially true of professional skills and punishment. The author notes that it is relevant not to use their skills and suggestions that could develop the company (Pedulla, 274). Preference is given to “male” ideas, so women experience additional stress, reducing performance. The opposite situation is observed in the punishment for not doing work or part-time work. Pedulla emphasizes that men tend to be reprimanded and are less likely to receive sick leave; in addition, the part-time job has a more significant impact on their wages. Thus, discrimination is twofold but does not cease to be a factor of oppression based on gender.
Proposal on Correct Business Practice
Vocational skills and qualities are a body of knowledge that is influenced by gender in small ways. Gender discrimination should not occur because it is an additional social hardship for the female, more to a lesser extent for the male. Despite the development of society and the decrease in discrimination, the issue is still acute, not only in America but also in other countries (Sorenson and Dahl, 917). Hiring practices are the responsibility of the HR, so the company should be interested in employees who can assess the competence of candidates regardless of their gender or another characteristic.
The blueprint has been developed that can be used to conduct interviews and questionnaires for candidates. First, HR managers should adhere to the company’s interests. Currently, companies are interested in increasing jobs for women and attracting men to typically “female” occupations. Second, when interviewing, the HR manager should assess the professional qualities of the specialist: analytical abilities, knowledge of material, and skills of the candidate to a possible position (Coffman, 53). These characteristics do not depend on gender, and the choice is usually influenced by stereotypical thinking. Third, the questionnaires for women and men should be the same. Questions about maternity and pregnancy apply to both sexes, so the pressure on women is not appropriate (Rao, 271). This plan reduces discrimination and changes attitudes in the field of interviewing practices.
It is worth noting that positive dynamics in the fight against gender discrimination will be observed when there is an understanding between men and women. Society should be interested in achieving equal relations without gender characteristics because this will allow it to develop. It is necessary to increase physical and psychological literacy because it will enable us to understand that the differences between people from the side of science do not affect their professional qualities so much. Consequently, plans to prevent stereotypes and reduce discrimination must include an aspect of education and information dissemination.
Conclusion
The study demonstrates the relevance of the issues of hiring men and women based on stereotypes. In work, it was determined that women face discrimination much more often than men, which is justified by the mistrust of companies towards them. Another factor is the personal prejudices of HR managers and companies’ interest in more “reasonable” men based on ideas about the brain structure. Such results allow us to formulate the principle of gender discrimination: gender continues to influence companies’ perceptions of candidates and remains a crucial aspect in selecting a future employee.
Based on the study, a plan to reduce the severity of gender discrimination was formulated and proposed. An important idea is the competence of HR managers and employees. For example, the conversation’s tone and mood dramatically influence the candidate and their ability to show their face in the interview. In addition, the development of questionnaires and job postings should not include “gender” lines. The employer demonstrates the importance of gender, and the candidate may decline the position; thus, the company loses a possible employee. The proposed tactic would reduce discrimination and help many employees find jobs based on their professional skills.
Thus, the study relied on information from contemporary sources and allowed to characterize the situations faced by men and women in the hiring process. The study found that women, on average, were more likely to experience gender discrimination and hardship. Nevertheless, the researchers were concerned that men received, on average, more fines. The observed trend of decreasing gender discrimination is creating a platform for men and women to realize, but gender continues to be an influencing factor.
Reflection
With the epidemic and post-epidemiological tensions, the labor market is particularly affected because of the dangers at work, making hiring issues quite acute in almost any field. There has been a decrease in gender discrimination due to staff shortages, which is why the number of women in high positions has increased over the past two years. Despite this, in my opinion, men still get an advantage in hiring. It is true in both technical and humanities occupations. This disparity results from many factors, but the active struggle and trend toward change are positive for women.
Hiring issues concern me as a future professional. I wish I didn’t have to face gender discrimination, as it diminishes me as a professional. It seems obvious to evaluate candidates on the side of their professional skills. Still, such issues as maternity leave, wages, the attitude of colleagues continue to be acute in gender-exclusive teams. For example, men are subject to high requirements for employment in typically “female” professions. Consequently, companies understand the risks of hiring a person who, according to their considerations, is socially inappropriate for the job. The opposite is true for women: they are more frequently rejected based on stereotypes about the mathematical nature of their minds, their solid emotional expressions, and so on. When hiring women, there are higher requirements and lower wages.
This imbalance is a reflection of societal stereotypes about the role of people of different genders in life. Nowadays, young people are interested in eliminating such conventions. Like many people, I am uncomfortable with gender evaluation. Thus, it seems the right way to erase the boundaries of gender conditions in hiring and strive for equal treatment of candidates.
Reference Page
Coffman, Katherine B., et al. “When Gender Discrimination Is Not About Gender.” HBS Working Paper Summaries, 2018, pp. 18-54.
Patterson, Sarah E., et al. “Gender and the MBA: Differences in Career Trajectories, Institutional Support, and Outcomes.” Gender and Society, vol. 31, no. 3, Sage Publications, Inc., 2017, pp. 310-332.
Pedulla, David S. “Penalized or Protected? Gender and the Consequences of Nonstandard and Mismatched Employment Histories.” American Sociological Review, vol. 81, no. 2, [American Sociological Association, Sage Publications, Inc.], 2016, pp. 262-289.
Rao, Aliya H.. Crunch Time: How Married Couples Confront Unemployment. 1st ed., University of California Press, 2020.
Sorenson, Olav, and. Dahl, Michael S. “Geography, Joint Choices, and the Reproduction of Gender Inequality.” American Sociological Review, vol. 81, no. 5, [American Sociological Association, Sage Publications, Inc.], 2016, pp. 900-920.
