This is a guest post from Katy O’Brien at EquallyPlaced.com, a nonbiased recruitment platform for both sides of the process. Katy shares her thoughts on if blind hiring is the way forward.
Whether it’s hiring for clients or hiring internally, diversity is here to stay. Katy O’Brien (Founder of EquallyPlaced.com, a blind hiring job board) talks about Diversity in Recruitment and whether blind hiring is the way forward.
Unconscious bias exists. Our minds form split-second opinions without us even realizing it. Meaning that in recruitment, we form split-second opinions on candidates, clouding our judgment and affecting our hiring practices.
EquallyPlaced.com gives the applicant control on which characteristics they choose to share with their potential employer. This could include removing their name, their age, their address or any other information that could subject them to bias – conscious or unconscious.
But this isn’t new. In 1952, Boston Symphony Orchestra asked their musicians to audition behind a screen in order to hide their gender and ensure they were being judged on their performance. Studies found that these practices increased the likelihood of women being hired by 30%, and over half a century later, Boston and many other orchestras continue to employ their musicians this way.
This research has been subject to scrutiny. Some argue that this method can only work in the music industry, as experience and skill can be heard, where a blind CV may not have the same effect.
Having said that, major organisations including Deloitte, BBC and Google are all implementing a form of blind hiring practice. Big Four Consultancy EY has been using this method for over 5 years, working with an external organisation to select and video interview candidates based on their suitability only.
Furthermore, Legal Giant Clifford Chance, are a proven example of successful blind hiring. In 2014, they introduced their Blind CV Campaign and reported a rise of 30% more diverse candidates.
Larger companies are all putting diversity and inclusion as a priority for their growth. The Financial Conduct Authority has even announced that they will measure Diversity within Finance Organisations, and many other regulatory bodies will follow suit. So as recruiters, how can we support our clients with diverse recruitment?
- As a Recruitment Agency, it’s never been more important to consult with your clients. Understanding your clients’ needs in terms of diversity will not only put you one step ahead of your competitors, but it will help you build real consultative relationships with your clients, supporting their end-goals of recruitment.
- It may also be time to start offering services focused on Diversity and Inclusion, or partnering with an external diversity consultancy to support your clients and their hiring. Jo Rayner has recently launched Diversity In Recruitment, an advice and training service to help recruitment businesses get to grips with equality, diversity and inclusion.
- Offering a blind recruitment campaign, or the option to video interview all candidates on behalf of your client is another way to support your clients achieve their diversity and inclusion goals.
- Embedding yourself within the culture of your clients’ organisations will help you understand the gaps in their diversity. You could work with your clients on a consultative level, conducting diversity surveys with their current teams and putting together a diversity roadmap.
As there will always be a human element of recruitment, we need to find more ways to eradicate bias in our industry. Katy O’Brien launched EquallyPlaced.com to act as part of the solution.
Author Bio:
Katy O’Brien is a passionate Business Leader, championing Diversity & Inclusion. she works with HR and Recruitment Leaders to create a hiring process that promotes Equality, Fairness and supports business D&I agendas. She believes strongly in freedom of choice, and this is why they created Equally Placed – a nonbiased recruitment platform for both sides of the process.
