Scenarios: Hiring

I didn't get hired although I was qualified.

During the interview, did you feel as though the interviewer was trying to steer you into one type of position (predominantly female), even though other types of positions were open that you wanted (predominantly male)?

Was a lesser-qualified male hired after you were denied the job?

When you submitted your application for employment, were comments made that led you to believe that you would not be hired because you were female?

Did you see any female employees working in the position you were applying for?

Did the job have lifting, height, weight or any other similar requirements unrelated to the job that may disqualify a lot of female candidates?

Did the interviewer ask about your marital status or whether you have children and/or were pregnant?

Neither can sex be a basis for hiring women in one type of position and excluding them from another. It is illegal for an employer to "limit, segregate, or classify his employees or applicants for employment in any way which would deprive or tend to deprive any individual of employment opportunities or otherwise adversely affect his status as an employee, because of such individual's race, color, religion, sex, or national origin." An example of segregating employees on the basis of sex would be if an employer only hired females for the cashier positions and only hired males for floor positions.

If you have experienced hiring discrimination, find out How To Get Even.

If talking with the employer about the discrimination is unsuccessful, you can file a complaint with your state commission against discrimination and/or the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Visit the federal law and state law sections of our site to learn more about your rights. Remember, there are strict time deadline for filing, so do not wait too long if that is what you decide to do.