Recruitment algorithms don’t discriminate

Gender, sexuality, ethnicity, age, religion, looks, even name - the list of ways in which job applicants are screened subconsciously is long. Job and internship applicants are already struggling to stand out and be noticed by potential employers among the throng of job seekers. But for some the process is even harder when they're met with wrong assumptions based on stereotypes. 

Unfair recruiting

Job seeker José Zamora had to change his name to start getting call-backs, job seekers are removing details on their resumés that might allude to their skin color, and experiences such as these are only too common. A 2012 study in Norway showed that with a foreign-sounding name your chances of getting called for an interview drops with 25%. 

Most recruiters would never admit discrimination but as researchers Arnfinn Haagensen Midtbøen and Jon Rogstad say: "We've tried looking at what the employers do, not what they say that they do. Those two things can be completely different."

The Norwegian Equality and Anti-discrimination Ombud states that while it is illegal to discriminate on the basis of gender, ethnicity, religion, and age, among other things, "most employers still have a huge potential for improvement when it comes to considering diversity among applicants during hiring and promotions". They specifically point to powerful businesspeople as being "carriers of stereotypical attitudes and prejudices towards different groups". 

Technological potential

Over the past several years, technological advancements have made enormous progresses in a variety of industries, such as online dating and retail. So far, however, recruiting has not experienced the technological breakthrough that it could.

"Even if it's done entirely subconsciously, discrimination in recruiting is naturally hurting the opportunities and job chances for people who might be wrongfully judged," says Anita Schjøll Brede, CEO of InternX, a Scandinavian recruitment startup. "How you look, what your name is, your age, your gender, where you live - that type of discrimination can be eliminated when employing matching algorithms that remove these aspects from the equation."

InternX is working on streamlining the process of assessing internship applicants based on strengths and experience as opposed to subjective evaluations filled with preconceived notions. Having recently launched, in early fall 2014, Anita highlights that the service's matching algorithm is designed to ensure that talent recruitment is "purely based on the things that actually matter". 

"We want to work towards a fairer recruitment process," states Anita emphatically. "There's a long journey ahead of us, but by being mindful from the beginning, I honestly believe we can make a difference."