3 ms·
At this point, everyone should just say they're a woman.
by morlockabove 6y ago
At this point, everyone should just say they're a woman.
- collegeburner 6y agoLol, a buddy jokingly suggested that. But joking aside, if we took sex and race off documents, job apps, college apps, etc. it would really help.
- astura 6y agoSex and race are not on job applications in the US.
- runarberg 6y agoIf I remember correctly names on applications that are traditionally more likely to be given to a black person is still considered less qualified on an identical resume than a name that is traditionally given to a white person. I don’t know if sending photos with your resume is still practiced in the USA (I think it is illegal in the UK) but if that is still the case than gender and ethnicity are still very much on the average job application.
- afuchs 6y agoYep: https://hbr.org/2020/03/research-to-reduce-gender-bias-anonymize-job-applications https://hbr.org/2020/03/research-to-reduce-gender-bias-anony... Evey beyond names people tend to assign class, gender, and race to surprisingly mundane things that are found on resumes.
- monoideism 6y agoThat hasn't been shown in a study for over 2 decades. Every recent study (past ~decade) that I'm aware of has shown no effect. Here's an article that discusses one recent study: https://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-bias-hiring-0504-biz-20160503-story.html https://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-bias-hiring-0504-... The problem with the original study was that it used names that denoted socio-economic status as much as race (ie, "Dahntay Smith" or "Shaniqua Thomas"). That's a problem, too, but I suspect a similar effect for professional job applicants can be shown using "lower" socio-economic status white names (ie, "Bobby Lee Jones" or "Tommy Ray Brown"). Regardless, I would be strongly in favor of anonymized job applications, since that would eliminate any suggestion of such bias in whichever direction.
- runarberg 6y agoOk, that is good news. It has been a while since I read up on the literature. And it is always nice to see findings revised by better studies.
- lallysingh 6y agoThe names are. Take them off and watch response rates change.
- astura 6y agoAt my job names (among other things like urls) are blanked out by HR. When I get a resume to review I don't know the name of the applicant. I assumed this was fairly typical. Either way I was responding to "if we took sex and race off... job apps... it would really help."
- xenocratus 6y agoIndeed: https://behaviouraleconomics.pmc.gov.au/projects/going-blind-see-more-clearly-unconscious-bias-australian-public-service-aps-shortlisting https://behaviouraleconomics.pmc.gov.au/projects/going-blind...
- lqqq 6y agoNot explicitly. But your name, LinkedIn account, Github profile picture, clubs... carry those information.
- Solvitieg 6y agoNo, but there is a strong will to reach gender and race equity in tech. And I don't think this can be achieved by accident. There must be intentionality to achieve this. Just look at this NYT hit piece on Coinbase yesterday and all the data available from big tech like Google and Facebook: https://twitter.com/nathanielpopper/status/1344044909200695298 https://twitter.com/nathanielpopper/status/13440449092006952... I'm not endorsing it. I'm just noting that it's happening.
- flyingfences 6y agoOh yes they are. You can check "prefer not to say" but that's an answer in and of itself.
- Udik 6y agoYes, just go to the interview wearing a wig and a skirt. Then on your first day you can wear your normal stuff, and if anyone says anything, you can just say you transitioned, and you really hope there won't be any discrimination against that.