Getting the best from blind recruitment

There are few organisations left that need further evidence of the benefits a diverse workforce brings. One method of improving representation in a workforce is to implement blind recruitment practices. These aim to help hirers avoid unconscious bias by removing certain information such as name and gender from CVs. This way, when recruiting, organisations are forced to assess candidates on their skills alone. So how can you make the most of blind recruitment?

Don’t pretend there’s no problem

Straightaway, we should recognise that everyone has unconscious bias. At its most basic, it is about whether you see someone as part of your ‘in group’. For example, do you have a Caucasian-sounding name, as I do? Did you go to the same university? Do you support the same football club as I do? Do we have the same hobbies? As Yassmin Abdel-Magied explains in her TED talk “We all have our biases. They’re the filters through which we see the world around us. Bias can be about race, it can be about gender. It can also be about class, education, disability. The fact is, we all have biases against what’s different, what’s different to our social norms.”

However, when it comes to any kind of selection at key points in careers, which could be recruitment, promotion, being put forward for a stretch project, even giving feedback, an unconscious bias can influence the shape of someone’s career and the opportunities they have. Unconscious bias comes into play because you are exercising personal judgement. And this judgement tends to start with an assumption of shared values and experience that are similar to yours.

Recognise that the results are there

One of the earliest examples of blind recruitment being put into practice actually took place in 1980 in the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, which, up until then, was comprised almost entirely of white male musicians. Recognising that they had a diversity problem, they tried a different approach to auditioning new members.

Sitting behind a screen which didn’t alter the sound, a panel of recruiters could only hear the music of those auditioning for the orchestra. They could no longer see them. They even put carpet down so that the “clickety clack” of high heels could not be heard. The impact of this on the hiring decisions resulted in a previously all-white, male ensemble becoming a near 50-50 split of male and female, with a lot more diversity and, clearly, the representation they wanted for their orchestra. This practice has been replicated across a number of orchestras as a result.

More recently, Professor Rouse and Professor Goldin conducted a study on how blind auditions affect the gender balance within some of America’s biggest orchestras, and found a 25% increase in the number of female orchestra members hired between 1970 and the mid-1990s. From their research, the professors deduced that about 30 percent of this increase was a result of blind auditions.

Use it to expand your talent pools

A number of UK organisations, from the NHS, civil service, local government and the BBC to major companies such as HSBC, EY and Virgin Money UK have adopted various blind recruitment practices. UK law firm Clifford Chance has also introduced a blind CV strategy for graduate trainees, with the overall objective of reducing the risk of recruiting from too narrow sources of talent, wherever it may come from. “We need to make sure we hire the very best candidates, regardless of the institution of study, degree discipline or background,” says Head of Graduate Talent Laura Yeates, also speaking in the latest Hays Journal. “Since taking these steps, we’ve seen the number of institutions from which we receive applications, and subsequently make hires from, increase. Candidate feedback has also been overwhelmingly positive due to a feeling of being able to position their strengths and unique selling points more effectively in the interview.”

Recognise the limitations

Be warned however, if you go completely blind in your recruitment, there is a risk that you lose some valuable information. If someone went to a school that generally did not perform well, but still managed to get into a top university, you would want to know that, because that person has super high potential.

There are also flaws in the partial blind recruitment practices, for instance removing the name on a CV with the view of lessening the chances of gender, age or racial bias. This information may become apparent through a person’s school, university or hobbies and interests.

On the whole, you can take things too far, however well intentioned.  It is all about widening access to a talent pool and giving opportunities to the widest possible range of people, not just on the basis of actual (absolute) achievement, but on potential. Generally speaking, making CVs more blind than they currently are is a good thing because it does help mitigate bias. However, blind recruitment is not a silver bullet, neither absolutely right nor absolutely wrong. It is a tool that you can use to (help) create a level playing field, so use it, but use it with caution.

If you found this useful, read our other recruitment tips and diversity blogs:

• Six of the best risks you can take when hiring for new talent
• Fewer women means less tech talent: Help tackle the gender imbalance in IT 
• How to recruit a purple squirrel (and other hard to find creatures) 
• Prioritising personality in your hiring process
• Talent management planning – where HR are going wrong
• 5 ways to boost your bottom line through diversity
• 4 business benefits of diversity

Author

Yvonne Smyth

Group Head of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, Hays

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Yvonne is the Group Head of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion for Hays plc, with over 23 years professional recruitment experience.

Yvonne spearheads Hays’ commitment to being recruiting experts by ensuring that our major recruitment linked activities and insights are designed to positively promote and create more diverse workforces and inclusive workplace cultures. Working directly with customers, in partnership with subject matter experts, community groups, and through colleagues, Yvonne has been responsible for creating and curating a suite of resources designed to inform, support and enable our customers to progress their D&I linked commitments and navigate their careers.

Yvonne is the national specialism director for Hays Human Resources, the largest HR specialist recruiter in the UK. She is responsible for the HR national strategy within this high growth and pivotal specialism consisting of over 70 consultants across 45 locations. Yvonne is also the national specialism director for Hays Legal and Hays Company Secretarial, a team of over 35 experts across 7 locations.

Recently Yvonne was featured in the SIA 2019 Global Power 150 Women in Staffing list, which recognises the female leaders and influencers in the global market space. Prior to joining Hays, Yvonne initially trained and qualified as a litigation lawyer with international law firm Norton Rose Fulbright.