Inclusion webinars have started to feel so prescriptive. Do bias training. Take my course. Have (acronym here) conversations. It feels like people are trying to monetize a problem that’s so much bigger than 1 prescription for everyone.

From my POV, we shouldn’t do webinars about DEI programming without a lot of opinions. Why would you only listen to 1 voice on a topic that is this important? I prefer conversations that challenge and educate by bringing in perspectives from every background and specialty. Personally, I think that’s how you make change in this world.

That’s why I pulled together this webinar to talk about our inclusive candidate experience eBook late last year. Instead of attacking one issue, we talked about experiences from the POV of the people living them. Even more special, a lot of these people are the ones that are making these moments better for others.

Inclusive Candidate Experience: Lightning Round

Our first three guests were Sarah Morgan, Rhona Pierce, and Pamela Loving.

Sarah taught us about the importance of removing identifiers from resumes, going beyond just names, to address biases in hiring processes. The chat was full of “Seriously?” and “I can’t believe this is still happening!” when Sarah shared research on the significant increase in the likelihood of women being hired when names are removed from resumes. There’s still a business case for removing identifiers when trying to eliminate racism and sexism in the hiring process.

Rhona taught us about making candidate experiences less intimidating for candidates. She’s my go-to person on this topic (and has a wonderful newsletter you should subscribe to). I love her approach because she is always reminding folks to look at the small touchpoints often overlooked in the recruitment process. Think acknowledging applications, rejection processes, and reference checks. These seemingly routine interactions shape a candidate’s perception of a company’s culture more than grand statements about culture.

Then, Pamela Loving reminded all of us to remember the candidate’s perspective to create a comfortable environment for interviewing. Pamela encouraged interviewers to treat candidates as individuals, express gratitude for their time, and acknowledge the potential fear or stress they may be experiencing. It might sound simple, but this open communication allows candidates to feel at ease and show up as the person they are, not just the nervous one that shows up when they’re under pressure.

Removing Identifiers From Data: Deep Dive

I couldn’t believe how many responses popped up when Sarah was sharing the research on removing identifiers, so I thought it was worth highlighting the facts she brought to the table.

• Removing identifiers facilitates a fairer evaluation, focusing on qualifications rather than irrelevant factors. In a study from May 2023, black women that changed their names were 46% more likely to get an interview.
• People of color, women, the LGBTQ+ community, people who don’t have college degrees, or those of us with marginalized identities do not apply to jobs unless we meet 85% or more of the requirements in a job description.
• Recruiters need to be the ones excluding identifiers when working with people to create a more level playing field. Sarah recommends removing anything that might tip off their gender, where they went to school, if they went to school, and any prior organizations that the person may have worked for because we tend to value some more organizations more than others. Remove affiliations and hobbies. Addresses, phone numbers, and zip codes, too, because AI systems may perpetuate biases by excluding candidates based on identifiers like zip codes.
• She recommended software tools like Blend, Team Blind, Pinpoint HQ, Me Vitae, and Offender to help organizations remove identifiers efficiently.

Be sure to follow and connect with Sarah on LinkedIn.

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