Can blind recruitment combat bias?

By adopting an employment strategy in which all personal information is removed from a job seeker's CV, such as name, address, education, the length of time in each role, can biases be eliminated from the hiring process?
We have seen more and more companies start to implement blind recruitment, at a time when diversity and inclusion have never been higher on the agenda.  Anyone who has ever been involved in recruitment would agree that no process is ever the same. With this being said, the blind recruitment process should be tailored to each individual organisation, and sometimes even to the vacancy itself. However, there are a few areas which should be considered before deciding on which part of the CV will be blind.
  • Is it a graduate recruitment role?
  • Is it a private or public sector role? 
  • Might there be a prejudice towards minority groups?
Removing just a few identifiable details or even all of them would create a ‘naked’ CV, but initially, produce a fairer playing field.

Next steps

Organisations could engage with ‘blindly’ selected candidates and invite them to do various psychometric testing. That might include personality tests, aptitude, numerical, verbal reasoning or even bespoke tests, designed specifically for a particular role.
Ideally, at this point, the employer should have a shortlist of four or five candidates, invite them in for face-to-face interviews and hopefully, one of them will receive an offer.

Face-to-face interviews are still relevant

It is understandable that some hiring managers may be sceptical about the effectiveness of blind recruitment on its own because, at some stage, job seekers will still have to make it past a face-to-face interview. However, the technical abilities of candidates should always be at the forefront of decision making, regardless of the age, race or ethnicity. And more importantly, a good recruiter can make this happen.

The long-term aim

Blind recruitment has been designed to find the best person in the current market, one that is technically equipped to do the job. This approach creates a more diverse and balanced workforce which allows for different ideas from a host of backgrounds. It is a little bit like building foundations for a house. Just because they are not necessarily visible when the house is built, it doesn’t mean they are not vitally important. A more diverse workforce mirrors the customer base more accurately and keeps employees engaged, and challenged, which improves productivity and employee retention.

A success measure

Once you have implemented a blind recruitment process, it is important to look back at the hires you have made and ask:
  • Did it really work? 
  • Are those hires still within the organisation and thriving? 
  • Are they helping the organisation to grow, and is the organisation helping them to develop their technical skills?
When you answer these questions, you’ll be in a better position to know if the process works for your business and the next steps to take.
If you would like to discuss how we can manage your recruitment processes to engage a more diverse talent pool, please get in touch with your local Page Personnel office. Alternatively, submit a job spec today.