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Arthur T Knackerbracket has found the following story:
A measure aimed at boosting female employment in the workforce may actually be making it worse, a major study has found.
Leaders of the Australian public service will today be told to "hit pause" on blind recruitment trials, which many believed would increase the number of women in senior positions. Blind recruitment means recruiters cannot tell the gender of candidates because those details are removed from applications. It is seen as an alternative to gender quotas and has also been embraced by Deloitte, Ernst & Young, Victoria Police and Westpac Bank.
In a bid to eliminate sexism, thousands of public servants have been told to pick recruits who have had all mention of their gender and ethnic background stripped from their CVs. The assumption behind the trial is that management will hire more women when they can only consider the professional merits of candidates. Their choices have been monitored by behavioural economists in the Prime Minister's department — colloquially known as "the nudge unit".
Professor Michael Hiscox, a Harvard academic who oversaw the trial, said he was shocked by the results and has urged caution. "We anticipated this would have a positive impact on diversity — making it more likely that female candidates and those from ethnic minorities are selected for the shortlist," he said. "We found the opposite, that de-identifying candidates reduced the likelihood of women being selected for the shortlist."
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday August 10 2017, @11:35PM (4 children)
Blinding the names, in this context, is either having little or no effect on underrepresentation. If it doesn't take much effort, then this policy should be kept in place as it reduces bias.
Some experiments, in other contexts (the US, with resumes and CVs), suggest that there is a bias against minorities. Either way, removing identifying information seems to eliminate bias at that stage.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday August 11 2017, @04:08AM (3 children)
You want to reduce that kind of bias very easily? Stop naming your kids Shaniqua and Jacquaneus.
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Friday August 11 2017, @06:10AM (2 children)
Fucking truth. That tells me right off as an employer that your parents are fucking morons who'd rather get them some Black culture on than have their kid integrate well into society. And there's a very good chance you are as well.
Here's a clue, guys, until you decide you want to be part of American culture instead of Black culture, you're always going to be outcasts. We do not accept those who refuse to integrate into our society, though we welcome any who're willing and we're more than happy to allow you to bring any parts of your culture that fit in with ours along with you.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday August 11 2017, @07:31AM (1 child)
Yep, here at Buzzard Industries, we do not discriminate. But we do not hire Black culture. Not racist, not all all. Just we don't tolerate Black culture. Black people are alright, so long as they act white. Buzz, you have gone full-on apple. You know what I mean.
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Friday August 11 2017, @11:55AM
We also don't hire anyone from any other culture that refuses to adapt to American culture; that was simply an example. They don't have to act white, they have to act like Americans. More specifically, they have to act like Americans making an effort to be professional. They can be whatever they like at home but while they're at my business, they will comport themselves as I demand or they will be unemployed.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.