Post your response to this week's second discussion topic: Maganda's job interview.

Scenario

Maganda is an architectural drafter who recently immigrated to Ottawa from Dagupan City, Philippines. She holds an advanced diploma from Aklan Polytechnic College and worked for many years in her field at a top firm in the Philippines.

You are the HR Advisor at Smith, Rogers and DeWitt LLP, a well-established and prominent architectural firm in Ottawa. Timothy, one of the senior partners at SRD has asked you to lead the recruitment and selection process for a Junior Level Drafter. The firm is looking for someone with at least 1 to 2 years of experience and a college diploma.

You create the job posting and receive Maganda's application in response. You are very impressed with her credentials and she is one of three candidates shortlisted for an interview.

Maganda arrives 10 minutes early for the interview. She is professionally dressed and appears enthusiastic. You greet her at reception and invite her into the boardroom to meet the selection committee.

The interview begins and you notice that the mood from the committee members has changed from earlier interviews. The committee members do not appear to be interested nor engaged. Tim is also deviating from the interview script. At one point, he says to Maganda "You speak English so well. Is it your native language?"

After the interview, when assessing the candidates, the committee decides against hiring Maganda because they feel she is simply not the right "fit" for SRD. In deliberations, they also discuss the fact that they feel she is overqualified for the job and would be bored. Tim also makes a comment about her name, saying "what kind of a name is that anyway?"

Discussion Questions:

1. How do you, in your role as the HR Advisor at SRD, address the various issues raised in this scenario? Why?

2. From a legal standpoint, are there any other ways address these issues?