Final answer:
The correct answer is B.Word-of-mouth recruiting in an organization with underrepresented protected-class individuals may disparity and is a potential legal issue as it can lead to systemic discrimination.
The EEOC discourages such practices. Companies should instead promote diversity and inclusion by reducing bias in hiring processes.
Step-by-step explanation:
If protected-class individuals are underrepresented in the organization, word-of-mouth recruiting by current employees may worsen the disparity.
This is because such recruiting often taps into the existing employees' networks, which might not be diverse. This method of recruitment can inadvertently continue the cycle .
On the legal aspect, it is a potential legal issue as it can lead to systemic discrimination, which is prohibited under various antidiscrimination laws.
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) guidelines discourage practices that lead to unequal employment opportunities for individuals of protected classes.
Instead, organizations should aim to promote diversity and inclusion by adopting professional human resources functions that help reduce bias.
This can include removing discriminatory criteria from the hiring process and actively seeking candidates from underrepresented groups to ensure they have the opportunity to compete based on their own merit.