As part of the recruitment process, it's quite common for employers to ask interview candidates how much they currently earn. But could the practice be contributing to a perpetuation of the gender pay gap?

Part of the problem?

The Fawcett Society is a charitable organisation campaigning for gender equality. Each year, it marks what it calls ‘Equal Pay Day’; this is the day of the year when, given the current gender pay gap, women (on average) effectively stop earning relative to men. This year, ‘Equal Pay Day’ fell on 18 November 2021.

As part of its 2021 campaign, this year, the Fawcett Society is encouraging employers to stop asking new recruits how much they were paid in previous jobs. The thinking is that if candidates were not asked this question, inequalities in pay would not be quite so entrenched. In turn, this could benefit not only women but also people of different ethnicities and those with disabilities.

It's an interesting idea and one that employers may wish to think about next time they're contemplating asking the question.

Want to know more?

If you want to know more about the work of the Fawcett Society and their #EndSalaryHistory campaign, click on the link below:

https://www.fawcettsociety.org.uk/