Employers should not see candidates' names when deciding who to interview

[RoseDeGambrinus]

This would be tricky for very small businesses, but for everyone else, why is it not regular practice to have a separate page of the application form with personal details on which is then detached (as an equal opps form often is)? Bit of a TAAT but why is a system accepted that means employers will often discriminate against those which are 'unusual' (inviting class judgements), Muslim, or even female? Obviously there could still be discrimination at interview but that first hurdle is so important.

As with O levels same with A stars, which only came in after a certain date.

It's not a bad idea with names but unlikely to be workable except in big organisations like NHS and Civil Service.

Interesting. We don't show age, marital status or interests on resumes anymore but mine still shows -

My address in a middle class area (and you can google image my home to get an idea of my wealth)
The private school I went to (the year reveals my age). It's also a catholic girls school.
My name is Anglo Saxon.

Even with name and address eliminated, my school gives away a bit about me.

If you're applying to local firms here, which of the two secondaries you went to will give a very good idea of what your family background is.

Nhs already does this. I guess it makes some difference but you can still tell who trained abroad, who had mat leave, who went to public school etc. So not as much difference as you might think.

Our Uni has an e-recruitment system. Whilst we in HR can see everything, the shortlisting panel only see a ref number and what the candidate has written on how they meet the selection criteria.

But they are going to see a candidate's age gender and colour when they turn up for interview?

But they are going to see a candidate's age gender and colour when they turn up for interview?

The thinking behind is that people are not intentionally discriminating.

Also that when it gets to the point that you are talking to the person, rather than just looking at paper and having no interaction , that the prejudices (in many cases) disappear.

A lot of candidates helpfully reveal their age, gender, ethnicity etc in their free text answers though. I don't think they realise they are doing it or how many assumptions you can make very quickly.

Mumoftwo would this work? www.naric.org.uk/naric/ we use it at work, so the organisation I work for has paid for access to the databases etc. It doesn't give a numerical score but it does gives UK equivalences.

Sorry posted to soon.

So the interview is based on the CV not any personal info, but the interview is.

It's pretty common. In my previous career I worked with people looking for jobs, and I would tell people to use a more common name on their resumes in some cases. It's psychology, people don't like mispronouncing names, and if they have a choice between picking up the phone and asking for Bob, or asking for a name that they will have difficulty pronouncing, then they will lean towards Bob.

PegsPigs, good idea in theory but the name of your exam will be a big clue. I took O-Levels, so any savvy employer will realise I'm no spring chicken

Also when you see that work experience go back to 1979!

Well, it works both ways.
Remember Sharon Shrill?
She was actually a privately educated woman with a Cambridge degree and a double-barrelled surname, who applied repeatedly for teacher-training, and was repeatedly turned down.
She applied as Sharon Shrill, and was offered a place immediately.

Definitely a step in the right direction.

I agree - I have a foreign name (always mistaken for the wrong foreign), and I've seen all the studies on what that means for my CV..

On the other hand, I'm pretty sure it was instrumental in getting me a couple of jobs at companies based in the assumed country.... At least judging by the shocked looks on people's faces when I rolled up at work the first day having never met them in person!

If all applications etc are to be nameless, does that mean we can also scrap all the unnecessary corporate networking bullshit events that I hate but attend because I need to. Having said that, I've definitely just got a job by being known to the owner of the company, so I'm in 2 minds here.

I went to a girls' school which has the word 'girls' in the name. Bit of a giveaway.

I think that personal connections will still count, because once you've made it through to interview stage then it's fair game to chat about what old Binky is up to and that totes hilair time you had on the corporate golf trip. The advantage is that nameless cvs mean you only get through to interview if you have the right qualifications however well you know old Binky.

I've got several jobs because chaps picked up the phone to other chaps and let them know that Anyone needs a job.

I'm pretty certain I've lost jobs because of my name. A couple of times I've emailed for more info basically giving my age (not that old), length of experience (good), qualification (good) and my name, and I've not been sent a reply.
And there was the application form that was lost...twice.

"I've got several jobs because chaps picked up the phone to other chaps and let them know that Anyone needs a job."

If you've done a good enough job for one of the chaps that he's prepared to make that call for you, isn't it only right that it gives you an advantage? CV's and experience on paper are only part of the picture and if you can get someone on a recommendation it takes a lot of the risk out of recruiting (same as when you need a builder at home)

Making applications anonymous is useful in large organisation, say graduate recruiting where no-one knows anyone and judgements might be made on name, but reputations always have to count for something, surely?

I don't agree. What if someone applies who you know has a terrible reputation in your industry but looks ok on paper? What a waste of an interview.

Happens already in two companies I know of. One goes even further and has tested different wording of recruitment ads to create 'gender blind' ads that appeal as much to women as men - wasn't involved in it so don't know much more than that.

Lots of recruitment agencies use a numbering system to prevent discrimination

Just realised that the application form I'm filling in (Or should be rather than Mumsnetting) has all the personal info easily removable from the main bit.

Great idea. In the Anyone situation, surely you just let your contact know "I've applied, I'm the one that went to X school or have X qualifications".