The Victorian government hopes that by removing a person’s name and other identifying factors from a resume, the applicant may be more likely to secure employment.
The government is hoping to prevent what it calls "unconscious bias", from creeping in to the assessment process.
Together with more than 20 public and private organisations, an 18-month ‘Recruit Smarter’ campaign has been launched.
This comes after a study by the Australian National University which found that some groups faced difficulties in securing jobs due to their names.
It found that indigenous applicants needed to submit 35 per cent more applications than someone with an Anglo-Saxon sounding name.
Middle Eastern community members needed to submit 65 per cent more applications.
Someone with a Chinese name had to submit 68 per cent more applications, just to get an interview.
Westpac is one of the companies getting on board this campaign.
Director of Westpac's Womens' Markets, Inclusion and Diversity department, Ainslie van Onselen, explained how the program would work.
“We'll be de-identifying certain information, so we will remove the name, remove the address, the email contact, the school that the applicant went to, and any interests," she said.
“And, also we'll be removing cultural background, as well. And that will then be assessed, by our recruiters, in talent acquisition, and then a short list will be applied thereafter.”
'Diverse nation'
Lorraine Ngwenya migrated to Australia from Zimbabwe.
Despite throwing herself into education, she couldn't secure employment.
“My surname is Ngwenya, some people may assume that I don't speak English, but I come from Zimbabwe, which is an English-speaking country,” she said.
“I did finish my degree and I looked for a job for the longest time, and I wasn't able to find something. And it could have been discrimination, it could have been an issue of diversity, I don't know."
Ms Ngwenya now runs a program called 'Useful Link', which is aimed at helping young people find work.
She's seen many examples of racial bias when it comes to the job application process.
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“If we're supposed to be this diverse nation, and we embrace culture and all of that, why should people feel the need to change their identity, to get something as important as a job," she said.
International student, Jean Tong, 21, has modified her name since arriving in Australia.
“My full name in Chinese is Tong Zhang Xin," she said.
"And in English, I do have an English first name, so it's Jeanette and then it's Tong Jin Yen. But, I just generally go by Jean.”
Ms Tong, who's of Chinese-Malay heritage, said it’s easier to go by an Anglicised name for social and professional reasons.
“We've all got the same qualifications, or similar qualifications," she said.
She has a novel way of explaining how to pronounce her Chinese name.
“Saying ‘Jin Yen’ suddenly makes it sound more difficult to say, even though it’s literally the words ‘gin’, like alcohol, and ‘yen’, like Japanese Yen," she said.
Ms Tong, who's a performing-arts student, said discrimination can go beyond just a name.
"A lot of characters, in terms of casting, there's a lot of bias around what a character is supposed to look like," she said.
“There’s an assumption that if you’re not white, then your character comes with all these stereotypes and that’s what you should play.
"You can’t play the lead character, you can’t play the lead romantic role, you can’t play the lead dramatic role.”
Her advice is for companies to look beyond the aesthetic bias or risk missing out on serious talent from diverse backgrounds.
