Jobseekers ‘whiten’ resumes to avoid discrimination

Experts say some jobseekers are removing personal details and Westernising their resumes to ensure they get an interview. See latest advice on what to keep and avoid in your CV.

Minority job applicants are “whitening’’ their resumes in a bid to avoid the discriminatory recruitment methods used by most Aussie companies.

Alarming new research by tech start-up WithYouWithMe reveals 92 per cent of Australian organisations use reference checks, resumes and cover letters to screen applicants, while just 32 per cent use unbiased methods such as psychometric and aptitude testing.

Diversity and inclusion expert Cathy Ngo says screening out non-Western workers is common practice, leading applicants to delete references to their race in a bid to increase their chances of securing a job.

“They will whiten their resume – anglicise their name or add in hobbies like golf that are quite typical of Western culture just to appear more attractive (to recruiters),’’ Ngo says.

“My cousin is Vietnamese and when she married and changed her name to (something with English origins) she got more call backs (for job interviews) than she ever had (using her maiden name).’’

WHAT TO LEAVE OFF YOUR CV

As well as race, factors such as gender, educational background and age can often be gleaned from resumes, leading to bias during the reviewing process and putting diverse candidates at a distinct disadvantage.

Ngo advises removing as much identifying information from resumes as possible – including photos – to give job applicants the best chance of success.

“I’ve worked in recruitment in the past and … when some people (from non-Western backgrounds) included pictures in their resume the recruiters would laugh at the pictures,’’ she says.

“It’s really terrible. It’s pretty juvenile. People are shocked that this kind of (discrimination) can happen but it does – it even happens here in Australia and it’s not uncommon.

“It’s more prevalent for people of colour but it occurs with anyone that has a non-Western background and also people that are LGBTQIA+ and people with a disability.’’

Chrissy Scott did not have to submit a resume when she gained a new IT position.

NO RESUME NEEDED

Adelaide mum Chrissy Scott was keen to avoid the discrimination faced by partners of defence force personnel, who are often overlooked for roles for fear they will be required to relocate, so signed up to WithYouWithMe’s Potential platform and completed psychometric, aptitude and learning assessments.

Based on her results, Scott was contacted about an IT position with a global consultancy company.

After a “getting to know you’’ interview, she was offered a cloud engineering role. At no point was Scott required to submit a resume.

“It just seemed too good to be true,’’ says Scott, who only recently obtained cloud computing qualifications and believes her lack of experience would also have been a disadvantage in common hiring methods.

“Every other avenue I have tried (to find employment) won’t even give you a call back – you don’t even receive a rejection email.

“Heaps of my husband’s work mates’ partners say the same thing – when you’re a mother and you don’t have the (local) family support to look after the kids when your partner’s away … it can be very hard to find work.’’

AN ENDEMIC PROBLEM

WithYouWithMe chief technology officer Scarlett McDermott says while most organisations claim to0 embrace diversity and inclusion, discrimination is “endemic’’ in traditional recruitment methods.

She says almost 30 per cent of organisations have no mandatory training on inclusive hiring before screening applicants.

“If employers are looking at application processes that only rely on resumes then they will never get the best candidate for the job,’’ McDermott says.

“If your resume is too short (recruiters think) maybe you’re not old enough or if it’s too long then maybe you’re too old.

“Diversity and inclusion are critical in building an engaged workforce that is more productive and innovate and less likely to leave.

“While much headway has been made … there is still significant room for improvement in hiring practices and opportunities for workplaces to institute modest changes that will have a significant impact on making their workplaces welcoming for more people.’’

Cathy Ngo says screening out non-Western workers is common practice.

RESUME RULES

What to leave off your resume to avoid discrimination:

● Gender: Women are considered more likely to take leave to have children and fulfil caring responsibilities.

● Address: Those who live far away from the workplace are assumed to be less willing to work overtime due to the commute.

● Age: Older candidates are seen as not tech savvy enough for a role while it’s feared young candidates won’t be taken seriously by clients.

● Family status: Parents are believed to need more time off for family responsibilities and be less available for work that requires travel.

● Place of birth : Those born overseas are considered not to have the language proficiency required to fill a role.

● Place of study: Qualifications from some institutions are viewed more favourably than the same qualification obtained at another university or school.

● Disability: Ccandidates are presumed not to be able to fill the requirements of a role before employers have even spoken with them or discussed simple accommodations that can be made.

Source: WithYouWithMe

Originally published as Jobseekers ‘whiten’ resumes to avoid discrimination