Study after study continue to prove the value of workplace diversity. Diverse work teams are more innovative, generate more revenue, and make better decisions. They are also more productive and have lower turnover.
Smart companies understand this, and have implemented diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts in recruiting and hiring. Given all of that, one would think that discriminatory hiring practices are increasingly and for the most part a thing of the past.
Yet the experience of many minority job candidates belies that presumption. Forbes has reported that, “There is a wealth of research and evidence that suggests that people with more ‘ethnic-sounding’ names experience bias during the hiring process and are less likely to be called back for roles they are qualified for compared to their counterparts.”
While outright racism still exists, it is (thankfully) becoming more rare. The ongoing issues with “name discrimination” today are more often the result of unconscious bias. Once past the hurdle of that initial screen, minority candidates get the opportunity to showcase their knowledge and experience.
