diversity
THE DANGER WITH UNCONSCIOUS BIAS IS THAT WE BELIEVE WE
ARE BEING COMPLETELY OBJECTIVE WHEN IN FACT WE AREN’T.
The next step is taking action to neutralize the impact of our bi-ases
on our decisions.
Symphony orchestras have been very successful in deal-ing
with gender bias through the audition process. As late as
1970, women represented five to 10 per cent of orchestral mu-sicians
in the U.S. At that time, orchestras experimented with
“blind” auditions, a practice now standard in North America.
Candidates draw straws to determine audition order, and the
auditions themselves are done behind a screen. Candidates are
often requested not to warm up when they enter the concert
hall, as these routines may identify the candidate. Candidates
may also be asked to remove their shoes to avoid the judges
identifying the type of shoe (e.g., high heels) that could indi-cate
gender. The judges enter the building by a different door
than candidates so that they are completely unaware of the per-sonal
characteristics of the person auditioning. As a result of
blind auditions, the percentage of women hired by major or-chestras
has doubled.
In April 2017, the Canadian government announced that six of
its own departments would be testing a name-blind recruitment
process. Research has shown that English-speaking employers are
40 per cent more likely to select candidates with an English or
anglicized name than an ethnic one. This government pilot pro-gram
is in an attempt to eliminate unconscious bias and potential
barriers for job-seekers from diverse ethnic backgrounds. The
project will hide applicants’ names during the initial screening pro-cess,
and compare the end results with outcomes from traditional
hiring practices.
How can we apply these types of “blind” practices in our own
recruiting? There are organizations that minimize unconscious
bias in the screening process for you by anonymizing any data that
would identify gender, age, etc. Other options include getting a
second opinion from someone who does not share your biases, or
conducting panel interviews to get a diverse set of opinions about
a candidate.
Creating a culture of diversity and inclusion requires commit-ment
from the top, and focused effort starting with recruitment
practices and continuing throughout the employment relation-ship.
The benefits are attraction and retention of top talent who
contribute to increased innovation, which then leads to superior
business results. n
Marni Johnson is senior vice president of human resources and
communication at BlueShore Financial.
Stokkete/Shutterstock.com
Symphony orchestras have
been very successful in
dealing with gender bias by
having blind auditions
32 ❚ JUNE 2017 ❚ HR PROFESSIONAL
