Name-Blind Recruitment: Pilot Project and Ryerson University

name-blind recruitment: The Liberal government's move came on the heels of a joint study by University of Toronto and Ryerson University earlier this year that found job candidates with Asian names and Canadian qualifications are less likely to be called for interviews than counterparts with Anglo-Canadian names even if they have a better education, according to Toronto Star. It's not just an issue of concern for me but for a lot of people. FRED CHARTRAND / THE CANADIAN PRESS By Nicholas Keung Immigration reporter Thu., April 20, 2017 Ottawa has launched a pilot project to reduce biases in the hiring of federal civil services through what is billed name-blind recruitment, a practice long urged by employment equity advocates. A number of people have conducted research in Canada, the U.K., Australia and the U.S. that showed there is a subliminal bias in people reading too much into names, said Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen, who first delivered the idea to Parliament last year as a rookie MP from Toronto. Some companies in the private sector, including banks and accounting firms, have already adopted the practice, which removes names from application forms in order to stop unconscious bias against potential recruits from minority backgrounds. Name-blind recruitment could help ensure the public service reflects the people it serves by helping to reduce unconscious bias in the hiring process. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.