Asking for your sexual orientation on job applications.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I've been applying for jobs since we are all uncertain right now. Granted it's been a long time since doing this I'm shocked by some of these questions on the applications. So now I think I've seen it all. First gender, what you identify as now a huge list instead of "male" or "female" or "trans." I was asked for my sexual orientation: heterosexual, homosexual, asexual, pansexual, you get it, basically WHO do you like to have sex with. This was NOT optional. It was a drop down you could not get passed unless you answered. Why would any company need to know what your sexual preference was and furthermore why would it matter? Is this typical? Have you seen this before? I'm taking a aback because I don't know why they would need this information and I was always taught to keep your professional work separate from your private life. This steps over the line to me. It feels very inappropriate. I did not apply to the job. Anyone in HR can shed some light?

Seems to be the direction the wind has been blowing for the last 4-5 years OP.

Give a snarky answer like "Sexual Orientation" _______ fill it in with "I don't one orientation, I want all orientations!"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Since no one seems willing to name companies - Deloitte asked this in their MBA internship application when I applied in 2020. I was also super creeped out and told our career services about it - they didn’t seem to care.

IQ test. You could have applied and then sued for unlawful discrimination.

What the poster failed to disclose was that it was optional and the data collected was aggregate and anonymized.

Deloitte is a $50 billion dollar company that has a huge Risk/Audit practice. They wouldn’t ask these questions if they were illegal. Hell, they have an app that scans emails and documents for words that trigger risks, you think they would let something like this pass?

I’m guessing you didn’t get an offer.

[Anonymous]

I’m starting a new job at a state entity and this was included among the demographic questions. Answering was optional so I left it out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I've been applying for jobs since we are all uncertain right now. Granted it's been a long time since doing this I'm shocked by some of these questions on the applications. So now I think I've seen it all. First gender, what you identify as now a huge list instead of "male" or "female" or "trans." I was asked for my sexual orientation: heterosexual, homosexual, asexual, pansexual, you get it, basically WHO do you like to have sex with. This was NOT optional. It was a drop down you could not get passed unless you answered. Why would any company need to know what your sexual preference was and furthermore why would it matter? Is this typical? Have you seen this before? I'm taking an aback because I don't know why they would need this information and I was always taught to keep your professional work separate from your private life. This steps over the line to me. It feels very inappropriate. I did not apply to the job. Anyone in HR can shed some light?

This is code for discrimination. They want you only if you’re like them. Real skills are irrelevant.

[Anonymous]

I agree - I'm really liberal but the idea that we are all celebrating homosexuality or pansexuality is kind of weird.

I don't care who you are having sex with and I don't want to celebrate it and I really don't want my third grader celebrating it!!!

[Anonymous]

I just applied for a part time position in a mental health field and these questions were asked on the application. I understand some clients may prefer a provider with similar demographics but I still found the questions intrusive on a prescreening application.

[Anonymous]

Genesys asks in the application

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I agree - I'm really liberal but the idea that we are all celebrating homosexuality or pansexuality is kind of weird.

I don't care who you are having sex with and I don't want to celebrate it and I really don't want my third grader celebrating it!!!

And I don't want my third grader celebrating your heterosexuality.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No idea. I've been job hunting for about 6 months and have seen it a few times. It's just weird.

Right???!! If they give you the option not to answer do you? And if they don't do you select the correct option? What did you do? These were the choices:

Man, woman, cisgender, transgender, non-binary, intersex, two-spirit

Asexual, biosexual, gay, heterosexual, lesbian, pansexual, queer, questioning, other I will self-describe

I feel like someone should select the “other I will describe” option and then write that this is an inappropriate question and none of their business.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No idea. I've been job hunting for about 6 months and have seen it a few times. It's just weird.

Right???!! If they give you the option not to answer do you? And if they don't do you select the correct option? What did you do? These were the choices:

Man, woman, cisgender, transgender, non-binary, intersex, two-spirit

Asexual, biosexual, gay, heterosexual, lesbian, pansexual, queer, questioning, other I will self-describe

I feel like someone should select the “other I will describe” option and then write that this is an inappropriate question and none of their business.

I'm wondering what biosexual is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Identify the organization or we won't believe you. This sounds entirely made up, by you.

DP. I ran into this also with a big tech firm based on the west cost. The questions were optional, but were integrated on their web resume submission / job application form. I assumed it was a California thing.

"I assumed it was a California thing."

Not anymore.