What is Job Relatedness?

Any criteria used during the hiring process must follow the rule of job-relatedness, which means that the criteria must measure a trait or skill that is job-related and consistent with business necessity. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) provides guidelines that prohibit discrimination against protected groups, including sex, race, age, disability, national origin, and more. While most hiring criteria lead to some level of disparate impact against protected groups, the use of these hiring criteria is legal as long as it is testing a job-related trait or skill.