Case Study: Party Time!
Cosmic Employer hosts an information session for all interested students who were pre-selected for interviews to be held the next day. The theme of the event is "South of the Border." The employer wants to create a relaxed and informal atmosphere. The event is all about chips and salsa, Mexican food, and a self-serve Margarita machine. A friendly bartender can offer you cold cerveza with a fresh lime, bottled water, or non-alcoholic drinks.
The vice president of the company, who will be interviewing the students is in attendance, and there are some "age appropriate" employees who are to mingle with the invitees and chat with them about the company. The VP plans to make less than a 10-minute presentation because he does not want to ruin the party atmosphere by a serious presentation.
Jane Brilliant has been invited to the session and is seriously interested in the company. Jane has strong moral objections to drinking. The invitation did not mention that alcoholic beverages would be served. As soon as she arrives, she knows that she wants to leave. However, she is worried that if she leaves that will send the wrong message to the VP. On the other hand, she wonders whether she would feel comfortable working in a company that promotes drinking.
The VP approaches Jane because he knows that she is one of the top candidates that Cosmic is interested in hiring. He begins to make small talk, and then offers her a margarita. Jane says that she would really just like some bottled water. The VP is incredulous at first and teases her a little saying it is "okay to loosen up" and "I won't tell your mother," but soon realizes that bottled water is what Jane wants. After a few more awkward moments, the VP goes to talk to someone else and Jane leaves not sure whether she wants to work for Global.
The next day at the interviews the VP is very formal with the students and reminds them that all job offers are contingent on passing a drug/alcohol screen.
Questions to consider:
- Is it appropriate/ethical/legal to have a recruiting event
with alcoholic beverages? If not, why not? What are some of the
considerations?
- How could the VP have handled the situation differently with
Jane at the party?
- Are there any mixed messages here?
- What if this employer's culture did promote 'controlled drinking,' that is, every Friday afternoon the employer throws a beer, wine, and chips 'TGIF party' for its employees. Does that change your view of the employer holding such an event?
Steps to Resolution
1. What relevant facts are known?
a. The program is an information session preceding the upcoming interviews. The intention is to create a friendly party atmosphere.
b. The VP of the Company will be interviewing and is in attendance at this event.
c. Jane is serious about the company and is in attendance. She has strong moral objections to drinking.
d. The invitation did not mention that alcoholic beverages would be served.
e. Jane wants to leave, but is worried that leaving might hurt her status in the eyes of the VP.
f. The VP approaches Jane because she is considered a top candidate. He offers her an alcoholic beverage, but she replies she would like water.
g. The VP teases her about her refusal, then gets her water.
h. Their interaction has become "awkward," and he leaves here to talk to someone else.
i. The following day, the VP reminds the students that all job offers are contingent on passing a drug/alcohol screen.
However, we do not know the following:
h. Is willingness to engage in alcohol consumption a criterion by which candidates are being screened?
i. Is there a statement in the company's literature/website about drugs and alcohol in the workplace?
j. Is the company a NACE member?
k. Did the person who organized this event (say the College Relations Manager) have a choice whether or not to include alcohol in this event? Was this imposed upon him/her by the VP?
l. Are students being checked for being of legal age to consume alcoholic beverages?
m. Is the event taking place on university property? What are the institution's policies regarding alcohol consumption? Is there an institutional party about supporting/advertising off-campus events that include alcoholic beverages for students?
n. Is attendance at the event voluntary - i.e., nonattendance has no impact upon how the student is evaluated by the employer? May the student obtain the same information about the company in other ways than attending this event?
2. Identify the NACE Principles in question.
a. Employer Principle #5—"alcohol use".
"Serving alcohol should not be part of the recruitment process."
b. The preamble to the Principles for Professional Conduct includes the following precept:
"Maintain a recruitment process that is fair and equitable to candidates and employing organizations."
3. Discuss practical alternatives that are consistent with NACE Principles. If the company wants to offer an event that presents a "fun" view of its culture, it would be advised to provide the same type of event but without the alcohol. If the Vice President insists on having alcoholic beverages, make sure that invitees understand that attending is not a requirement and that they will not be judged negatively for not being there. If there is important information to be conveyed, do a formal presentation first, then invite students who wish to stay to do so.
4. Decision
a. The career services office needs to discuss this situation with
the company's college relations head and determine how and why it
came to be that alcohol was included.
b. The career services director should then refer the college relations
head to the relevant principle in the Principles for Professional
Conduct. The director should point out how using alcohol in
an event such as this violates the preamble-stated concern about
a "fair and equitable" recruitment process for students.
The college relations head should be referred to the NaceWeb Legal
Q&A piece, "Does Alcohol Have a Place in Recruiting."
Special attention should be given to the fallacies that lead employers
to use alcohol, i.e., that students expect it or that they won't
think as highly of organizations that don't serve alcohol…or
that they won't enjoy the event as much.
c. If the company insists on having this type of event, the director
should urge them to make it separate from any information session.
In this way students who are interested in "real" information
about the organization and its activities can gain that without
having to be part of an event that includes alcohol use. The director
should also be clear on university policies governing alcohol use
in off campus events for students.
d. The career services director should make certain that literature
sent to employers at the start of each recruiting year include the
NACE "No Alcohol in Campus Recruiting Policy" letter.
e. The career services office should make a special effort to prepare
students for the possibility that they will be involved in such
activities and how they may respond.
f. The career services director should encourage the college relations
head to explore the company's legal liabilities with its legal department.
