I wrote an article about hiring bias, to be published on a well-known career coach’s blog. After I submitted the article, the career coach indicated she would not be publishing it on her networks.
Here is why she decided not to publish this piece. These words are copied from an email response she sent to me:
“I had a couple of recruiting colleagues in the DEI space review the advice (namely the name change suggestion). It was strongly recommended to me that I should not publish the article. While I don’t disagree with your advice, I think it should be taken on a case by case basis and may be perceived as me (a white woman) trying to white wash others.”
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The following is the unedited article. I answer questions the career coach provided, which she sourced from her over 1 million LinkedIn followers.
I removed identifiers like the coach’s name and logo.
For the purposes of the article the career coach is referenced as “CC”.
Read My Post : I Got Dissed By a Career Coach with 1 Million Followers
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[CC] Let’s start from the beginning. How did you get to be an “unconscious bias expert”?
[SHAUNA] For me, like many minorities, a big shift happened for me last year when George Floyd was murdered. Having a Black father, I was so outraged and upset. It caused a lot of reflection on experiences I hadn’t given a second thought to through my career.
I even once heard a hiring manager call a candidate the n word when reviewing resumes and kept it to myself for many years. I’ve heard things that white people may otherwise censor in their conversations, because they assume I am white. But I’m Black too.
Fuelled by my experiences, I combined my HR and teaching background to focus on the bias space. Now, I empower professionals who believe in inclusivity to land a career they love no matter their skin colour, gender or where they’re from.
[CC] I remember working in an HR office when the topic of “recruiting bias” would come up regularly in our weekly meetings. I truly believe that the people that I worked with did not want to discriminate against job seekers and many of my colleagues (myself included) didn’t always know when we were biased. How common is recruitment bias? Why does it happen?
[SHAUNA] I believe most (not all) people want to do the right thing and don’t actively set out to discriminate. The problem is our own individual lived experiences have really big impacts on how we see things. If we ignore how those experiences impact our opinions and judgements it becomes problematic.
There are lots of different types of biases that impact recruitment. Often we’re instinctively drawn to people who are like us. This creates a real issue for those of minority groups. Because most of us are drawn to people like us, and because most people in positions of power aren’t minorities, we continue to fuel broken systems.
Recruitment bias is extremely common and has lots of negative effects for minorities. Overcoming our own tendencies is an individual leadership journey. It’s difficult to measure, just like many leadership competencies.
Companies can help by implementing policies and tools that evaluate candidates based on skill and experience, removing inputs which aren’t valid to hiring decisions (like gender, race, age, or where a person is from, for example).
[CC] I have an uncommon name, and am usually assumed to be male. Does adding a headshot help mitigate bias? I’ve often wondered if I put a more digestible name, without a photo, would I be a more palatable candidate? Not job seeking, but was a few months ago. I ultimately was hired through networking.
Headshots are not recommended for a job search in North America. There would be some exceptions, actors for example. A picture is a thousand words and that’s room for a thousand biases too. A recruiter could make assumptions about you based on that photo.
I’ve had clients with Non North American sounding names change their name on their resume to get more interviews. This approach does usually bring positive results. There’s even a study that proves a candidate with a Black sounding name is two times less likely to land an interview than a candidate with a white sounding name. With this being said, however, the choice to change your name is deeply personal. You should only do this if it feels right to you. I’d never advocate for a job seeker to do something out of alignment with their values or beliefs.
Source: Harvard Business School: Minorities who Whiten Job Resumes Get More Interviews.
[CC] I have an accent. Is there anything that I can do to soften or mitigate my accent during the phone interview?
[SHAUNA] I work with a lot of MBA students from around the world and this is often their number one communication struggle. Slow your pace, slightly slower than what feels ‘natural’ to you. Make sure to pause after your sentences and speak as clearly as possible.
For a phone interview, especially, take extra steps like making sure you are in a quiet place, use headphones and make sure there are no distractions.
If your accent is unfamiliar to the interviewer they will really appreciate this. Try checking in to gauge their level of understanding. After you respond, ask something like “Is there anything I could further clarify?”
[CC] Students can be in a very vulnerable position especially the ones who live away from their families. Who can they reach out to who actually will take action and advocate for them if they get discriminated against so the perpetrators are held accountable?
[SHAUNA] It can be so challenging for students and I can appreciate how vulnerable they are in situation like this. The first thing I would do is check for resources available at my educational institution. Often there are counsellors who can help guide them through the process and direct them to the right path for next steps.
[CC] The bulk I see in tech relates to names and country of origin. It is quite sad and repulsive that the majority of consulting firms will pay substantially more to a resource based on their having a western name vs one from southeast Asia. Should a job seeker consider changing their name on their resume?
[SHAUNA] There are two primary schools of thought on this.
One:
Change your name on your resume. You deserve an equal shot to land the interview. The system is broken and this is a way to hack the system.
Two:
You shouldn’t change your name on your resume because companies shouldn’t discriminate based on your name.
The reality is, job seekers probably don’t have time to wait for discrimination to be eradicated. They need an interview and a chance now. There is nothing wrong with changing your name on your resume. A resume is not a legal document and nicknames are commonly used.
If you’re comfortable with it, go for it. You should never do something that feels wrong to you. So the answer to this is very personal.
[CC] By far the loudest and most unapologetic bias I have seen is bias against body types. How can an applicant fight against that?
[SHAUNA] I’ve seen this time and time again. Assumptions about your health motivation level and ability to do a certain job being tied to your weight. There are systems and company policies that need to be changed to fight against this type of bias.
In the meantime, the best thing a candidate can do is focus on their fit to the role and create a compelling case for hiring them. All candidates should go the extra mile to do this and ensure a focus on credentials. While unfair, this is especially true for marginalized groups. Too often, these groups need to exceed the standards others are held to, in order to receive fair consideration in the process.
If you suspect you’ve been discriminated against, based on your weight be sure to see out direct feedback from the hiring manager. Ask things like ‘Can you help me understand what skills I was missing for the position?” At the very least, you might get some feedback which will help you with future applications.
[CC] What is the best career advice you’ve ever received? Did you take it? (I ask everyone this question).
[SHAUNA] When I went back to my corporate job after my maternity leave, I felt seriously out of alignment and torn between work and home. For the first time in my life, I absolutely hated work. I wanted to be home with my son (this shocked me).
My partner, Shawn, said to me: he’s only going to be a baby for another minute. Is your job worth it?
After 10 years with the company, I left my (great on paper) corporate gig and spent 6 more months at home with my son.
Kids change things in a big way. Now every career decision I make includes a check on how it will impact my time with my boys. They’re only small for a minute 🙂
