CIPD People Management report that large numbers of British women have resorted to using false names in job applications because they fear their ‘foreign sounding’ names will mean they face bias in the recruitment process, according to research by headhunting firm Nottx.com. Around 1 in 5 of 540 female black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) jobseekers said they had altered their name in applications and 4 in 5 believe their gender and ethnicity are barriers to employment. More than half of 460 men polled believe they have been subjected to ethnic discrimination, but less than a tenth have changed their name. Almost all respondents who changed their name when applying for jobs reported a higher level of call-backs from potential employers.

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