Foxconn Tones Down Hiring Advertisements, Removes Age and Marital Criteria for iPhone Assembly Workers
In a move aimed at avoiding controversy over its hiring policies, Taiwanese electronics giant Foxconn has instructed third-party recruiters to remove age and marital criteria from job advertisements for iPhone assembly workers in India. The changes come after Reuters revealed last month that Foxconn had previously excluded married women from hiring.
According to sources familiar with the matter, the directives were issued by Foxconn's HR executives in June, following media coverage of the controversy. They warned the recruiters not to use its name in job ads and told them that their contracts would be terminated if they did so.
As a result, many of the Indian vendors have standardized recruitment materials in accordance with templates provided by Foxconn, which no longer mention the unmarried requirement or age requirements for female candidates.
Reuters reviewed several new job advertisements posted by these vendors, which list benefits such as an air-conditioned workplace, free transport, and a monthly salary of 14,974 rupees. However, the ads do not specify any marital criteria.
It is unclear whether Foxconn has increased its hiring of married women for iPhone assembly roles since dropping the requirements. However, recent changes to advertising content suggest that the company may be moving in this direction.
Foxconn has faced criticism over its hiring practices in India, particularly with regards to its treatment of married women. In June, Reuters revealed that the company had previously excluded such candidates from hiring at one of its main manufacturing plants.
The investigation sparked an investigation by the Indian government, which ordered federal and state officials to look into the matter.
Apple has also faced pressure over its supply chain in India, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government branding the sector as a key factor in pushing India up the global economic value chain.
In response to Reuters' earlier story, some of Foxconn's hiring vendors told recruiters not to mention the manufacturer’s name in job advertisements. The changes come amid increasing scrutiny over labor practices in the Indian tech industry.
Foxconn Chairman Young Liu had recently told his government that married women "greatly contribute" to the efforts of the iPhone factory. However, whether this change reflects a real shift in Foxconn's hiring policies remains to be seen.