LinkedIn and Age
My company recently held HR training for managers where the instructor said:
- Do not require dates of employment on applications
- Do not note or refer to dates on someone’s resume or application
All this because considering age when hiring is, in most cases, both wrong and illegal.
- If I list three jobs, each of which I worked four years, am I over 40?
- Same jobs with dates. I began the first job in 1992, am I over 40?
I thought I’d ask LinkedIn why they require the display of dates.
This is their reply…
From: LinkedIn Customer Service
Sent: Monday, August 13, 2007
To: Ken H. Judy
Subject: Re: dates worked in experience profileHi Ken,
While we can understand your position along with your companies HR training basically providing the length of employment or the dates you began with a company (start date) and the date you left the company (end date) would pretty much be the same. If I started with LinkedIn March 01, 2007 and I left them April 1, 2007 that would mean I was one month old? I don’t believe this would really have much to do with a person’s age. When entering employment dates on a resume you don’t enter your date of birth neither should you do that on your CV. Please let me know if this addresses your concern as I am not sure I understand how entering your employment dates is age based discrimination.
Thanks
I’m comforted that you “understand my position”. Thanks LinkedIn Privacy Lead!
I realize experts recommend listing dates and only using the most recent 10-15 years of experience. Still, what I reveal about myself is fundamentally my decision not the administrators of a social network.
Oh, and thanks for clearing up that thing about the one month olds. I was confused about that one…
Short link: http://jkat.me/g5pfu2
