Can I ask for a photo with a CV?
Discussion
Looking to recruit someone to replace an outgoing member of staff - The role is very much 'front of house' and involves a lot of client contact when they come to our offices - therefore I am ideally after someone who 'looks the part'.
Am I breaking any employment laws if I request that a current photo of the applicant be sent with their CV? On paper they might be fine - but if they turn up to interview with a chain through their nose and green hair they are not going to be the right hire.
Suspect I am going to get a lot of applications for this job - so ideally want to cut down on time spent interviewing people who are not suitable.
Feedback would be much appreciated.
Many thanks in advance
BJW
Am I breaking any employment laws if I request that a current photo of the applicant be sent with their CV? On paper they might be fine - but if they turn up to interview with a chain through their nose and green hair they are not going to be the right hire.
Suspect I am going to get a lot of applications for this job - so ideally want to cut down on time spent interviewing people who are not suitable.
Feedback would be much appreciated.
Many thanks in advance
BJW
On FB you might just get profile pics of cats, babies and drunken nights out... or private profiles that you can't see, so you might lose out on the best person for the job because you can't see their pic?
Include in your person spec that the candidate has to have a professional appearance, and look smart and tidy, etc. Currently going through the same thing just now for a front of house post, but going to interview the best qualified / most suited people and see how their appearance is at interview. Expecting 200-300 applications though.
Include in your person spec that the candidate has to have a professional appearance, and look smart and tidy, etc. Currently going through the same thing just now for a front of house post, but going to interview the best qualified / most suited people and see how their appearance is at interview. Expecting 200-300 applications though.
c8bof said:
On FB you might just get profile pics of cats, babies and drunken nights out... or private profiles that you can't see, so you might lose out on the best person for the job because you can't see their pic?
Include in your person spec that the candidate has to have a professional appearance, and look smart and tidy, etc. Currently going through the same thing just now for a front of house post, but going to interview the best qualified / most suited people and see how their appearance is at interview. Expecting 200-300 applications though.
Had around 40 applications already - most from people who evidently can't read as it clearly states that applications will only be considered from people who are of graduate calibre! Gonna take some time to sift through - I might cut the advert short to limit the applications at this rate. Include in your person spec that the candidate has to have a professional appearance, and look smart and tidy, etc. Currently going through the same thing just now for a front of house post, but going to interview the best qualified / most suited people and see how their appearance is at interview. Expecting 200-300 applications though.
BJW, given the current climate, you're going to get every man and his dog applying for your job, whether they have experience or not! I do know exactly how you feel about this one.
Obviously too late for this time for you, but we're using JobCentre Plus to do all the administration of the job we're advertising just now - they send all out packs, email/hard copy, receive all completed apps and are shortlisting right down to about the 50 best apps for me to do a final shortlist for interview. If we had wanted they would have done it from start to finish, interviewing and all - no charge! Dunno if it's just a trial in Scotland but they were happy to offer us this service, as we were to pass it over to them. So far, so good.
Also, we don't accept CVs. Very detailed and specific application form instead.
Obviously too late for this time for you, but we're using JobCentre Plus to do all the administration of the job we're advertising just now - they send all out packs, email/hard copy, receive all completed apps and are shortlisting right down to about the 50 best apps for me to do a final shortlist for interview. If we had wanted they would have done it from start to finish, interviewing and all - no charge! Dunno if it's just a trial in Scotland but they were happy to offer us this service, as we were to pass it over to them. So far, so good.
Also, we don't accept CVs. Very detailed and specific application form instead.
bigandclever said:
silverMX said:
B.J.W said:
graduate calibre!
A receptionist with a degree then.Thanks for the feedback everyone. Receptionist with a degree - haha. Actually pretty accurate, but the successful candidate will only be performing that role for a short time before we progress them through to work directly for me, or my fellow director's side of the business. We struggle to find experienced staff when we do hire, so given that we are ok on the latter at the moment, I thought it would be a good opportunity to take the time to develop the experience internally (whilst also covering the gap we have on the admin side) and transfer them through 6 months from now - as opposed to potentially waiting a long time for a decent external applicant to turn up when I could really need them. Method and all of that!
Might be missing out on a really good non-grad (don't think so based on the CV's so far), but I have to base selection on some criteria.
Might be missing out on a really good non-grad (don't think so based on the CV's so far), but I have to base selection on some criteria.
B.J.W said:
Might be missing out on a really good non-grad (don't think so based on the CV's so far), but I have to base selection on some criteria.
Am I missing something here? 
I always thought that if you want someone with a degree you ask for a 'graduate'; if you want someone who had the brains but not the certificate then you ask for 'graduate calibre'.Quite normal in Asia, but I think in the UK it is dodgy ground. Not actually illegal but opens the door to accusations of discrimination, so you need a very sound reason. If my understanding is correct.
Better to say in the advert that applicants must be presentable. Look for people who are already in a customer facing role, look for people with sensible names who don't DJ or run the medieval re-enactment society in their spare time, and sound them out on the phone first.
Better to say in the advert that applicants must be presentable. Look for people who are already in a customer facing role, look for people with sensible names who don't DJ or run the medieval re-enactment society in their spare time, and sound them out on the phone first.
I am not even customer facing and the last two jobs I have applied for have asked for a form of ID for "My personal file" strangely enough all forms of ID they accept have a photo of some sort on them.
Guessing that is a get out for them as they are asking for it for a personal file if I get the job.
Guessing that is a get out for them as they are asking for it for a personal file if I get the job.
As far as i'm aware it's perfectly legal to ask for a photo (and proof of ID). Reason being is so you can ensure the person that turns up to work is the person you actually interviewed.
It does sound though OP that you just want photos to screen out mingers for someone who may become your PA! Good work!
It does sound though OP that you just want photos to screen out mingers for someone who may become your PA! Good work!
B.J.W said:
Am I breaking any employment laws if I request that a current photo of the applicant be sent with their CV? On paper they might be fine - but if they turn up to interview with a chain through their nose and green hair they are not going to be the right hire.
You're thinking about this one aren't you?
Be very careful even with photos and so on.
I know a firm a few years ago who had to hire a new Receptionist / float secretary.
The person they employed was close all of the sort of things you are looking for – looked right for the role, showed significant potential to progress rapidly over a couple of years to a full time legal secretary and then on to PA level. They were immaculately dressed for their interview and made all the right noises and so got the job.
Within 3 months of them starting the firm had to buy and require all secretarial staff uniforms due to the wholly inappropriate clothing this apparently perfectly suited person insisted wearing. It didn’t help that they had tattoos on both arms below the elbow which had been covered up at interview. It also came as a surprise to many that 5 months after starting (having unbidden and unasked at interview clearly stated that they were returning to work after having a child and never wanted to go through childbirth again and so had had the female ‘snip’) they announced that they were pregnant.
I know a firm a few years ago who had to hire a new Receptionist / float secretary.
The person they employed was close all of the sort of things you are looking for – looked right for the role, showed significant potential to progress rapidly over a couple of years to a full time legal secretary and then on to PA level. They were immaculately dressed for their interview and made all the right noises and so got the job.
Within 3 months of them starting the firm had to buy and require all secretarial staff uniforms due to the wholly inappropriate clothing this apparently perfectly suited person insisted wearing. It didn’t help that they had tattoos on both arms below the elbow which had been covered up at interview. It also came as a surprise to many that 5 months after starting (having unbidden and unasked at interview clearly stated that they were returning to work after having a child and never wanted to go through childbirth again and so had had the female ‘snip’) they announced that they were pregnant.
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