There is no doubt that French fries has been one of the go-to treats for many Filipinos. And when craving strikes, Potato Corner is among the many food brands they visitto satisfy their hunger. Unfortunately, the brand went viral over the weekend, not because of its French fries offerings that come in different sizes and flavors, but for its hiring ad.
One of the brand’s franchises is looking for a new service crew to add to its team and released a job poting online . What left a bad taste to netizens are its employment requirements, particularly the “weight must be proportionate to height” note, among others. This sparked numerous memes on social media platform X, as many think the requirements are similar to what beauty pageants are looking for in a candidate.
While these posts are hilarious, for many, the ad puts the spotlight on the many “employment discrimination” and high standards Filipinos face in order to get a job.
To address this, Potato Corner has released a statement detailing its diversity and inclusion values.
“Discriminatory hiring is not something we support or condone, and not aligned to who we are,” the brand said in a statement. “We're all about providing equal opportunities for all, and giving fair recognition and reward to effort, attitude, potential, and creating positive outcomes.”
“It may have been amusing for some, but we in fact are taking this seriously,” it continued. “We deeply regret the incident and we’re reviewing our procedures, teaming up with our valued business partners, franchisees, and suppliers to make sure that situations like this won’t happen again. So that whatever we say and do at Potato Corner reflects our values.”
Although the brand has already taken down its job posting, netizens continue to talk about it online. One X user posted that people “won’t really buy something from an overweight, yellow-teethed, pimple-faced dude.” Another responded through a post that said, “looking presentable is important in any line of work, but Potato Corner crossed a line with [its] criteria.”
How about you? Do you agree with the brand’s hiring qualifications?