They aren't directly tied to merit. They may be indirectly tied to merit; that's the argument many people make. But we also know college attendance, especiall

They aren't directly tied to merit. They may be indirectly tied to merit; that's the argument many people make. But we also know college attendance, especially at elite schools, and GPA are correlated with other things... things like economic background. You also have to consider how bias can be self-reinforcing. We know people with stereotypical African-American names are less likely to be hired then people with the same resume but names associated with Caucasians. And black children are much more likely to be suspended or expelled then white counterparts, and to get lower grades, even if their performance and behavior is on par with white students. So credentials like a degree at a good school, and good grades, are not always free of bias. If you are an employer, you have to consider a number of factors. You may need to fill the position immediately. You may have a certain pay scale in mind without flexibility. You want to avoid hiring a weak or bad employee, and you want to avoid not hiring a good employee who merely looks bad on paper. In science, we often use randomized samples. You might try taking a random sample of the people who you wouldn't ordinarily pick, the no pile, and interviewing them at technical skills. Or better yet, having somebody who doesn't know who is who interview them purely on technical skills, and not letting them see the resume.