Hello, I've been applying for jobs and on one application they asked for my high school education--specifically the start and end date.
You couldn't submit until this was filled in. But I wasn't sure why it was relevant. I have a master's degree. The other was an application asking if they could contact my current employer. I chose "no" -- in my head "she doesn't know I'm looking". Do you know why they ask these questions? Any insight would be great. Thank you!
First - this is very likely a software issue not a personal choice of the organization. These are standard questions that have been on applications for decades. If you encounter these questions on an electronic application, it tells you that the organization has not updated their software to allow for "soft" warnings i.e., "if your work experience is less than five years, please provide the date you graduated from high school." So either that says the organization is cheap, behind the times, or they are using it as a filter. Look for other clues that will tell you which one. Often HR software is not updated frequently enough and can get old because it "technically" still works. Alternatively, software vendors can also be very slack about making updates to their programming because it can be very expensive. And an organization will keep a currently installed software long beyond its efficiency as a rule. Plus, in the current economic climate, updating software would have to be really needed to be a priority. So problems that are related to recruiting software are rampant right now and creating bottlenecks everywhere.
Regarding dates - this really pisses me off. They cannot ask how old you are - that question should not be on an application. I occasionally have exited out and not completed it. I figure I most probably don't want to work for a company that has that question on their application. Early red flag for me. If I can type it in, I'll put 1900. It's a bit harder with the drop downs.
I always say no to can they contact ANY employer - current or former. You want to go through the interview process, want to make me an offer and want to check references? Great - I'm happy to provide those. But until then, it's absolutely none of your business.
Usually they will always ask if they can contact your employers--current and past. They will want recommendations from your past supervisors. However, if you select "no" for your current employer, that shouldn't take you out of the running as most people would choose "no" for this. For your high school years, the only reason for HR to really ask you for that is to determine your age. They could also use it for a background check but that is something the company they use for background checking should ask you once you have been considered for the job--not just from applying.
It's one way to calculate age with asking for your age. I always make up a fake date. Luke I graduated in 2005. It's discrimination but companies do it all the time.
I've never had it come back when I've been interviewing or hire.
One thought, a lawyer recently me that any lies you tell may be used as grounds for dismissal.
I've seen stuff like this, and it is frustrating. They may have roles where a HS Diploma is the only educational requirement, and so it's on the application questionnaire (or it could be an old remnant, like April said). Contacting employers is frustrating, too, because my answer is "no, not right now, but YES after I am offered a role (as part of the background check)". I just try to make sure to mark EVERY other employer as a "yes" to contact, and know that any hiring manager (or recruiter) with a grain of sense will recognize that you don't go around announcing you looking for a new job to your current employer.
Best wishes!
Asking for a date of graduation is likely a remnant of an old application system that has not caught up with the times. Dates such as that can easily infer age. If concerned, I would offer it as feedback to the recruiter. If not concerned & you are still interested , I recommend answering the question and then” wait”. It’s difficult to impact change in the company with being an employee.
My guess is to determine age. Anyone can get a BA/BS, etc later in life, but the HS diploma pretty much dates your birth to a year or 2. I had to fill out one application recently and in order to store it into the ATS, I had to use my HS graduation year as part of the login. I thought it was pretty disgusting, personally, and very heavy handed. I mean, do they think they're being secretive? We're not dumb. I wish I'd thought to make the year 1995 or something, but then again, if you're dishonest with any part of the application or what you disclose it can be grounds for dismissal if it's found out, so that ties your hands.
On the applications I have used at a variety of organizations, we have asked for high school information as some of our positions require a high school diploma or GED. We often confirm education at all levels, depending on the role. That being said, we typically do not request the graduation date as that could lead to assumptions about the applicant's age. We also have asked if we can contact the current supervisor -- if the candidate marks "no" we understand that contacting that supervisor could create a difficult situation for an applicant. However, when we are in the final stages of our process, we do complete employment verification and reference checks that require us to contact the current supervisor. We make sure we discuss this with an applicant prior to making that call or requesting that reference. I hope this helps!