Beware of Career Applicants

A breed of people known as ‘career applicants’ is a growing threat to business. They are bogus jobseekers who make a living by applying for positions at companies in the hope of being turned down so that they claim bias and demand compensation payments.

This exploitation of the UK’s employment laws is sometimes known as ‘serial saboteur applications’ and is meant to prove that a particular employer discriminates against applicants – be it on the grounds of race, gender, sexual orientation, religion or disability.

Sometimes, this activity is undertaken with the best intentions; phoney applicants want to do no more than expose firms that display prejudice in their hiring of staff members. (Investigative journalists have been doing this sort of thing for years to expose wrongful practice).

But usually, career applicants’ motivation is simply greed, a desire to cash in on the fact that employment tribunals usually award compensation equivalent to six months salary (which the applicant would have be earning in the disputed role). This can amount to a hefty sum – especially in the case of top executive positions and/or when an extra payout of several thousand pounds is added for ‘injury to feelings’.

Legal experts claim that companies often settle such cases out of court, meaning that the instances of claims by career applicants are much higher than officially recorded by tribunals. This allows many saboteurs to remain anonymous, allowing them to strike again elsewhere.

Cases of serial saboteur applications are predicted to increase in 2006, when new age discrimination laws come into effect.

Career applicants’ usual method is to submit two applications for the same position. Both describe the exact same qualifications and experience, but there is a single difference, which could refer to the applicant’s race, gender or so on.

The fake application will, for example, be from a man, or an able bodied or white person, while the genuine submission will be from a woman, or someone with a disability or from an ethnic minority.

If the firm chooses the bogus character for interview but not the real applicant, a claim for discrimination is then raised.

The best method for avoiding serial saboteurs is to ensure that your firm faithfully follows strict equal opportunities policies – and then advertises the fact. According to Background Checking.com, which advises businesses on recruitment policy, good practice can deter up to 25% of bogus job applicants.

It is also wise to require applicants to fill in standardised forms, rather than send in CVs, so that data is clear and applications can be more easily compared (either by a person or computer).

Document the application process of every candidate so that defending your position is easier should you be taken to a tribunal. Send out comprehensive rejection letters that clearly outline your reasons for turning someone down. And try to run a firm with a diverse workforce, which will stand as good evidence that your firm is not discriminatory.

See the UK Net Guide articles Improve Diversity in the Workplace, Rights for Disabled Workers, What is Race Discrimination, What is Sex Discrimination, and Your Rights as an Employee.