Introduction

Chapters 4, 5 and 6 exposed the inequalities and varying risks of discrimination based on class and social background which result from an employer's use of technology and new practices. Chapter 4 examined an employer's use of social media for cybervetting, job advertising and terminating an employee's employment. Chapter 5 examined an employer's use of algorithms and AI as recruitment tools, focusing on the use of CRS, AVI and gamification. Chapter 6 examined platform work and the postpandemic shift to remote and hybrid work. Whilst these practices may result with or worsen classism and related problems in modern workplaces, this chapter is solutions focused and it proposes a way forward for employers who may wish to address or prevent these problems to make their workplaces fairer and more equitable.

This chapter therefore proposes a suite of cascading practices which could be utilized by employers to help prevent some of these problems from arising in recruitment and employment. There may be ways to minimize, or eliminate entirely, these problems and yet still achieve the aims or goals of some of the practices.

I. Re-imagining the use and role of algorithms, AI and social media in recruitment

Whilst certain practices, such as the use of cybervetting, CRS and AI ‘hiretech’, create inequalities and risks of class and social background discrimination, there are important reasons for their use.

In relation to cybervetting, the practice may be used to help identify a ‘bad hire’ based on social media data. Employers should, however, reconsider whether cybervetting actually achieves these goals. Zhang et al write: