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Undercover researchers find race bias in UK
The Observer ran this story yesterday about race bias in British companies.
Researchers commissioned by the Department for Work and Pensions created false identities and sent 3000 CVs to employers across Britain. All the candidates had similar work history and qualifications, but the research revealed that applicants with African and Asian names were less likely to receive an invitation to interivew than those who appeared to be white. On average, an applicant with an African / Asian name would need to send 16 applications before getting a favourable response, while an applicant who appeared to be white would only need to send nine applications.
The researchers sent the false identity CVs to vacancies for nine different occupations (ranging from professional to less qualified roles) in the public, private and voluntary sectors. The report concludes that racial discrimination is the only explanation for the difference in treatment between white and ethnic minority applicants.
Although legislation exists against racial discrimination, it’s difficult to prove racial bias at the application stage. Here are some findings from the research that might reduce the chances of coming up against discrimination:
- Apply to the public sector
Employers in the public sector were found to be less likely to discrimate than those in the private sector, possibly because the standard application forms disguise ethnicity.
- Target companies with clearly stated diversity or equal opportunities policies
Larger companies were shown to be less likely to dscriminate than smaller companies.
- Highlight your skills and accomplishments
All job seekers, regardless of ethnicity, need to make a strong case for their application. But Jim Knight, the employment minister, stressed the results of discrimination saying that companies are missing out on real talent. Make sure that you can demonstrate how much you can bring to the role or to the company by clearly stating your talents in your application materials and at interview.
Racial discrimination is rarely – if ever – mentioned on other career and job blogs. Why do you think this is? Is racial discrimination in recruitment an issue that should be addressed more openly?
Photo credit: sashafatcat
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