Discriminatory Hiring Practices Rare in Job Postings, New Research Finds
A comprehensive new report suggests that overt discrimination in hiring is uncommon, with the vast majority of companies appearing to follow merit-based practices when advertising open positions.
Explicit Discrimination Is Uncommon
The study, which screened 500 job postings, found that explicit discrimination was rare. Only two postings were found to restrict candidates based on identity, both originating from the same company, Enbridge. Less than five percent of the total postings indicated any preference based on identity, and of those, 20 came from a single insurer, Intact Financial.
Merit-Based Hiring Remains the Norm
The report concluded that discriminatory hiring practices “appear to be rare on the surface” and that companies largely maintain merit-based hiring processes. While many organizations publicly discuss diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, the actual implementation of these principles in hiring appears to lag behind the rhetoric.
Words Without Actions
Leigh Revers, the report’s lead author, noted a significant gap between corporate messaging and tangible outcomes. “It’s basically just words and no actions,” Revers said. “They can talk all they want, but are they actually delivering anything? And the answer is no, not really. So they’re not really being particularly discriminatory when it counts.”
The findings suggest that while the conversation around DEI has become more prominent in corporate communications, meaningful action in hiring practices has not kept pace with public statements.
