Sexist job advert asks for candidates who can 'deal with the male banter'

There aren’t many job advertisements that speak of time travel. Yet an astonishing vacancy posted by a property investment firm in Mayfair has achieved just that, appearing to request that whoever applies to be its new “Executive Assistant & Investor Relations Associate” is prepared to transport themselves back to the 1950s.

At least, it reads that way.

In a listing that could quite easily be satirical, were it not for the likelihood that irony is lost on Mayfair-based property investment firms, the unnamed company lists the following under its “Skills & Personality required” for the administrative role:

“Good personality - ability to deal with the male banter and be sociable but not distracting”.

The advert, posted by by RMS Recruitment with an attached salary of ￡40-45,000 p/a, has caused outrage on social media, where users have called it “totally unacceptable”, “discriminatory” and “regressive” - while pointing out that City firms demanding women quietly ‘deal’ with male ‘banter’ has long been shorthand for putting up with persistent workplace sexual harassment.

Theatre director Hannah Joss, who brought it to the attention of the internet, added the hashtag #TimesUp to her original tweet - referencing the movement founded by 400 predominantly British and American women in the entertainment industry, in response to the global wave of victims coming forward and sharing their experiences of sexual assault or misconduct by powerful men.

The listing was removed from Guardian Jobs and Independent Jobs.

In the description, the Mayfair client describes itself as a “Tight knit, hard working and family orientated” workplace, adding that “various friends and family members work in the office so [...] it is a relaxed and buzzy environment.”

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Making clear they believe secretarial work to be a solely female domain (otherwise the winning applicant, presumably, would only have to endure “banter” rather than “male banter”), the client adds that they are seeking a “bright and emotionally intelligent” person, who is “patient and conscientious - great in dealing with HNWIs” (High Net Worth Individuals).

RMS Recruitment, who placed the advert on various job sites, is a “small boutique, select consultancy” specialising in assistant and secretarial roles in the Mayfair area. It was started by Tessa Meadows-Smith and Kate Rawlings in 2000, and claims to supply staff to “leading companies, entrepreneurs and celebrities in London.” It is an all-female team of nine directors and consultants. 

“A crucial part of our business is regularly visiting clients in order to gain an insight into their cultural, environmental and employee needs,” so the firm's website boasts, after stating they “take good care of [their] candidates.”

Helpfully, the website describes the process of clients using the recruitment service in detail.

It begins with a personal visit by one of the RMS team (“to pinpoint the exact traits and qualifications you are looking for”) in which company culture and work environment are inspected, to find a “perfect fit”, before an extensive and thorough search is undertaken.

It is not clear whether RMS then writes the copy for the advertisement that follows.

When contacted by The Telegraph and asked about their process of posting and vetting advertisements from city firms, RMS Recruitment refused to comment - illustrating a total failure to deal with good old-fashioned banter.