What’s in a name?
I think blanking out names on CVs is a good place to start in terms of reducing racial bias in recruitment, but it isn’t the only aspect of someone’s CV that can give away their ethnicity or background. The schools the candidate went to, the area they live in – these can also lead to bias and should be blanked out.

And what’s in a name? Many people from minority ethnic backgrounds have or use English-sounding names to avoid this sort of thing in the first place.

Could this eliminate unconscious bias at interview stage?
There is still likely to be unconscious racial bias at the interview stage, but I think that can be overcome by making sure that the interviews are conducted by a truly diverse panel of people.

Of course, stigmas are present across social groups and will be combined when someone has multiple identities. For example, someone who experiences stigma because of their ethnicity can be burdened by further stigma upon a neurodiversity diagnosis.

Other measures organisations can take to reduce racial bias in recruitment and to work towards having a more diverse workforce include working with an external recruitment partner who is aware of the need for diversity in the first place – and has a track record in delivering it. 

How else can the recruitment process be more inclusive?
I think the way the application form and job description are written can also help or hinder attracting diverse applicants. Are you really appealing to who you want to hire through the job description? Is the language inclusive? It’s not enough these days to just have the blanket “we are an equal opportunity employer” statement – high quality, diverse candidates need to see businesses make more of an effort than that.

If you’ve written the job description without inclusivity in mind then know you’re failing yourself.

Coaching and culture
Ongoing coaching is an excellent way to ensure hiring managers and those in senior positions are properly educated on issues of conscious and unconscious bias, and how they can help to support those within their teams once the hiring process is complete.

If you have nurtured a workplace culture that encourages open dialogue and feedback sharing, one of the best ways to track how well a business is doing in this area is to ask the employees themselves.