Which form of discrimination would be most likely to result from a recruitment practice that...

HRPA’s staffing and employment law guidance explains that exclusive reliance on employee referrals can perpetuate workforce homogeneity and create barriers for protected groups, even without intent. This is characteristic of systemic (adverse effect) discrimination—organizational policies or practices that, while neutral on their face, disproportionately exclude or disadvantage certain groups. This differs from differential treatment or overt discrimination (intentional, direct) and from unconscious bias (individual-level bias), which may contribute but does not fully describe the organization-wide impact of a referral-only practice.

Relevant HRPA references (no external links): HRPA Study Guide – Recruitment and Selection Compliance; Human Rights and Employment Equity: systemic/adverse effect discrimination; HRPA Competency Framework – Labour & Employee Relations: ensure selection practices are fair and non-discriminatory.