Recruitment programmes that filter out candidates who fail gain at least 2:1 degrees run counter to many employers’ duties to hire a “diverse” workforce, it is claimed.
It is believed as many as three-quarters of top employers currently require good grades as a minimum threshold for an interview, reports The Daily Telegraph. But Prof Sir Tim Wilson, who carried out the review, said that focusing on students from a small number of universities — often leading research institutions — was “too narrow”.
He called on graduate employers to carry out a systematic review of screening policies amid fears companies could be missing out on talented candidates from non-traditional backgrounds.
Sir Tim, former vice-chancellor of Hertfordshire University, also suggested that companies should make greater use of new-style graduate report cards that mark out students’ achievements in a range of areas including extra-curricular activities in addition to raw degree grades.
I’m just waiting for the first indirect age discrimination claim to be lodged on this one! Those of us over 45 know full well a 2:2 in old money is worth a present-day 2:1 😉
Even worse than that – as in the mid 80’s I remember being told top 5% went to Uni and next 5% to polytechnics and we are now i believe up to c45% university attendance . Therefore surely every role requiring a degree graduate is in danger of an indirect age discrimination claim as a younger applicant is far more likely to be able to comply with the requirement.
The bit of case law on indirect sex discrimination to do with occupational pension schemes (Greater Manchester Police Authority v Lea) was decided on a far smaller % difference