Korea’s St. Mary’s Hospital Is Facing Major Backlash Due To Its Alleged Hiring Practices — Accused Of Hiring Nurses Based On Looks
Korea’s St. Mary’s Hospital in the city of Bucheon, just west of Seoul, is facing major criticism after its alleged hiring practices were exposed.
According to a JTBC News report, In the summer of 2020, the hospital interviewed 1900 nurses for positions at the hospital.
Based on applicants’ resumes, about one-third of applicants advanced to a face-to-face interview. According to the news report, however, there were troubling statements written on the notes of employees who conducted the interview.
Phrases describing the appearances of the applicants, such as “Unattractive,” “Face looks cloudy,” “Looks tough,” “Obese,” and “Frail,” were written on judges’ notes.
More troubling is the fact that applicants whose appearance was given negative descriptions all failed their interviews while one applicant who was given positive descriptions, such as “Shy” and “Smiles a lot,” passed.
A representative of the Korean Health and Medical Workers’ Union expressed shock at the revelation.
It’s shocking because appearance can not be a measurement for hiring. Especially for a hospital which is a business that deals with patients’ lives.
— Park Min Sook (Representative of the Korean Health and Medical Workers’ Union)
The Korean Health and Medical Workers’ Union has stated they would be calling for a special audit into the hospital’s hiring practices in five of its locations.
Netizens criticized the hospital for its alleged hiring practices. Many felt it was ridiculous that a hospital would hire nurses based on their appearances.
- “Frail? WTF? Your intelligence is frail.”
- “Idiots.”
- “Turns out I live near this hospital. They are really messing up in all types of ways.”
- “Idiots.”
- “They are crazy.”
- “They are seriously crazy. What is so important about (applicants’ appearance?)
When reached out for comment, the hospital revealed that they were aware of the issues regarding grading applicants’ impressions and that they immediately made corrective measures. The hospital also claimed that appearances alone were not the sole factor for hiring and that they had also weighed other criteria.
You can watch the full report in the link below.
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