KUALA LUMPUR – Popular coffee chain outlet ZUS Coffee has issued a public apology after one of its recruiters was accused of discriminating against a disabled applicant.
The issue was first highlighted by Twitter user @hairul1992, who uploaded a couple of images of his WhatsApp conversation with the said recruiter, who appeared to dismiss the former’s application upon discovering his disability status.
In the screenshot of the messages, the recruiter had reached out to Hairul acknowledging that ZUS Coffee had received his application for a barista job at its Eko Cheras outlet.
Hairul proceeded to provide his details, including his vaccination status, before going on to inform the recruiter that he has a hearing disability and asking whether the coffee chain would accept him.
The recruiter replied: “Oh really? I'm sorry (Oh yeke? Maaf ya).”
When asked why she was apologetic, she did not immediately respond, and eventually replied some three hours later to inform that the Eko Cheras branch has closed its intake.
In a statement yesterday, ZUS Coffee general manager Venon Tian said that following immediate investigation of the matter, the company found that the issue had transpired due a miscommunication and a lack of experience, stressing that it was never the company’s intention to come off as discriminatory.
Official Statement - Alleged Discrimination Towards OKU Applicant pic.twitter.com/ECYsJ0gMd5
— ZUS Coffee (@ZusCoffee) February 15, 2022
“We have never held back from hiring employees of all backgrounds including OKUs, provided they are able to perform all assigned tasks.
“We sincerely apologise from the bottom of our hearts, and we commit to continue serving our customers better.”
Detailing the sequence of the viral incident, Tian noted that while chatting with the applicant, the recruiter had checked through the company’s official database to confirm the EkoCheras outlet’s vacancy, only to realise the position had been filled.
“The recruiter did not respond in time to update the applicant. She did not know how to handle the situation when asked if she was discriminating.”
Tian also admitted there was a lag in response time between the applicant and the recruited, which led to a misunderstanding.
In a bid to improve its service, Tian said, ZUS Coffee will immediately undertake several action plans, including improving how it checks for vacancies before reaching out to applicants, engaging with professional trainers to retrain the recruitment team, and committing to continuously provide equal opportunities to all.
He added that the recruiter has also been asked to personally apologise to Hairul, while the company will also reach out to him with available positions at other outlets.
“At ZUS, we do not tolerate any form of discrimination, and have always been an equal opportunities company.
“We pride ourselves on our inclusive culture and have always given opportunities to anyone who can contribute, regardless of their background.
“This is proven with statistics and can be seen from the start of our business where positions were given to OKU team members.”
Later yesterday, Hairul uploaded another image of his conversation with the recruiter, in which the latter issued her apology and promised to improve herself. – The Vibes, February 16, 2022
Kita dah mintak maaf each other. pic.twitter.com/0bdc5DGMWq
— EЯUL (@hairul1992) February 15, 2022
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