Name-blind resumes help reduce racial and gender bias, writes Usman W. Chohan.
An interesting parliamentary debate is taking place in Canada on promoting name-blind resumes. Taking a lead from the UK, the proposition in the debate is that resumes submitted within the Canadian public service should not have the candidates name on them, in order to preclude the systemic biases of employers from manifesting themselves in the hiring process, whether it be in the form of racial or gender discrimination.
In the UK, the move has already received positive acknowledgement and prestigious private sector firms are beginning to follow suit.
In Canada, the parliamentary discussion around the issue of making Canada less racist in the workplace is gaining increasing traction, led in part by the proactive approach to social inclusion encouraged by Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus government, which is perhaps best exemplified by the remarkable diversity of his cabinet.
