A hard pill to swallow: finding a job isn’t easy. There are a so many of crucial factors that applicants must deal with, like location, skills mismatch, and lack of experience. The job hunt gets more arduous when applicants are confronted by bias and discrimination. Potato Corner recently became a hot topic on social media after a job vacancy announcement went viral for all the wrong reasons. Here’s what went down:

The hiring dilemma

Global Philippine food franchise Potato Corner faced backlash over the weekend after a job post on Facebook by one of its soon-to-open branches in Ventura Mall. The now-deleted viral post says it’s looking for applicants that fit a rather detailed set of qualifications. These included a preference for female applicants with a clear complexion, eyesight, and good set of teeth, among other aspects. 

The job listing also indicated that interested applicants must at least have a high school diploma and aged between 18 to 30-years-old.

For a country like the Philippines, where millions of Filipinos are currently unemployed, this type of job posting would understandably prompt disappointment and annoyance from anybody. This brings us to our next point…

Netizens slam and poke fun at the wild job posting

In classic Pinoy humor, netizens were having the best time, creating countless memes inspired by the controversial job posting.

They’re ready to serve fries and slay!

Not a Miss Potato Corner pageant! Help! 😭

Maybe a little bit of both?

And it seems even Lola Nena’s has caught wind of the unconventional job posting…👀

A sign pointing to a more significant issue

Conversely, some netizens feel this controversy encapsulates the challenges of getting a job in the Philippines. “Filipinos, with so much of a labor pool, are subjected to extremely high standards for employment. Iisa lang ang ibig sabihin: maraming Pilipino ang hirap makahanap o walang trabaho,” one netizen wrote.

Others pointed out customers often don’t see the faces of Potato Corner staff because they’re wearing face masks. “While I understand the pleasing personality part, there’s usually minimal conversation with the customers. I just tell them what I want & pay, that’s it.”

Meanwhile, Atty. Chel Diokno has encouraged employers not to be overly specific with their hiring process. “Kung kaya ang trabaho, dapat qualified mag-apply at ma-consider. At ang diskriminasyon sa edad, ipinagbabawal ng batas!” he emphasized.

Potato Corner responds

In response to the controversy, Potato Corner published a statement on their Facebook page to address what happened. They said the company believes in celebrating the uniqueness that each person has. Potato Corner emphasized that they don’t condone discriminatory hiring practices and deeply regret the incident.

Moreover, the snack brand says they’re reviewing the company procedures and working closely with all concerned parties to prevent similar situations from arising in the future.

“We remain committed to fostering an environment and society where every single person gets a fair chance to contribute and succeed.”

What can you say about this job posting fiasco?

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