Foxconn, a key supplier for Apple, has instructed its recruitment agents in India to remove references to age, gender, and marital status from job advertisements for iPhone assembly roles, reported Reuters based on source inputs. The directive comes after a June report revealed discriminatory hiring practices at its facility near Chennai, raising concerns about compliance with anti-discrimination policies.
An investigation by Reuters earlier this year found that Foxconn’s recruitment partners were posting job ads targeting unmarried women within specific age groups. These practices reportedly excluded married women from eligibility for roles at Foxconn’s Sriperumbudur factory, a policy inconsistent with the global anti-discrimination standards upheld by Apple and Foxconn.
The hiring restrictions were reportedly relaxed only during high-demand production periods.
Foxconn employs thousands of workers at its Tamil Nadu plant, many of whom are women. The company outsources recruitment to third-party agencies responsible for scouting and screening candidates before final interviews. Following the publication of the Reuters investigation in June, Foxconn moved to standardise hiring practices, sources familiar with the matter stated.
How Did Foxconn Respond To The Investigation?
According to insiders, Foxconn HR executives convened meetings with vendors shortly after the report’s release. Vendors were instructed to stop referencing gender, age, or marital status in job postings and were warned against using Foxconn’s name in advertisements. One agent described the new guidelines as strict, with contracts threatened if vendors failed to comply. Additionally, recruiters were told not to engage with the media about Foxconn’s hiring practices.
As reported by Reuters, despite repeated inquiries, Foxconn declined to confirm whether the changes included lifting restrictions on hiring married women.
This move represents Foxconn’s effort to address allegations of discrimination while attempting to align its recruitment strategies with international standards. However, it raises questions about the consistency and enforcement of ethical hiring policies across its operations in India and globally.