HISTORY BEHIND BLIND RECRUITMENT

Your name is what makes you unique, but why should your name affect your ability to have a job. The ability to obtain a job should be based on your skills and experience, right? In a society that faces the challenges of bias, this is unfortunately a reality for many which results in a lack of diversity in the workplace. 

In 1952, the Boston Symphony first introduced the idea of blind recruitment. They would have the candidate perform behind a screen and applicants were chosen based on only their musical performance. The auditions were even held on carpet to prevent the judges from guessing gender based on footsteps.

This was a successful experiment. Blind auditions increased the probability of a woman advancing from preliminary rounds by 50%. This transformed their previously mostly white male orchestra into a more equal and diverse one.

Unconscious bias is not particularly something that one can fix in a society overnight. However, there are elements to society, specifically job recruitment, that can change in order to prevent the way social norms affect one’s thought process. 

The benefits of blind recruitment have been seen to increase fairness to each candidate.

But where to start? How can I anonymise and manage hundreds of CVs?

BlindStairs offers an AI-based platform that strips all potentially bias-inducing information from applications, ensuring that companies select the best candidate based on experience and skills.

Take a step towards workplace equity. Implement blind CVs in just 5 minutes. Bring your company to the forefront of change for a fairer and more inclusive working environment.