In the UK, we have become more accepting of a variety of backgrounds and cultures. Our society has become fairer and an effort is made to ensure everyone is treated equally, factors such as someone's religion, gender, ethnicity or sexuality are not used to judge. This applies especially in business, where it is against the law to discriminate against someone by, for example, rejecting a job application due to an applicant's age, disability, ethnicity etc (Equality Act 2010).
In the information age, personal details are so freely available on social networking sites such as Facebook and almost anyone can access this information, including recruiters and potential employers. This means it is more difficult to keep information by which we do not wish to be judged private without leaving it out of a profile completely.
Could employers be forming judgements on potential employees, before they are even hired, based on information posted on social networking sites, such as their religion?
A recent study looking at employers from the US using social media as a form of resourcing, found that discrimination may occur when the social networks are being used as a resource tool. It goes on to suggest that discrimination is more prevalent on the basis of religion than on the basis of sexual orientation. While many employers say they believe in total equality in the work place (and no doubt they do) there could be some subconscious form of decision making which kicks in when we look at a person's profile, perhaps without us even realising.
Here is the article if you would like more detailed information about the study:
http://mashable.com/2013/11/25/religion-and-job-search/
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