Discrimination | Company ranked potential employees by social class and Twitter followers

Already beset by news that one co-founder was fired by another - with key staff quitting in support – a US media firm has found itself under the spotlight for ranking potential hires by class and the number of followers they have on Twitter.

The Markup, which had the stated aim of reporting on how companies are using new technology, a fascinating subject for HR in itself, was founded by individuals from the Wall Street Journal, Wikimedia and Craigslist. It had raised tens of millions of pounds in start-up support.

However, in recent days it has made news for all kinds of HR issues.

Firstly, it was discovered that one co-founder was relieved of her duties by the others. Seven staff then quit in protest at the decision with many in the industry supporting her on social media.