#JobApplications #NameBias #InclusiveHiring
Have you ever felt like you were constantly hitting a brick wall with your job applications, despite having all the qualifications and experience? 🧐 Turns out my biggest obstacle was my name. After months of rejections and radio silence, I decided to make a simple change that turned everything around: I changed my name on my applications. And it worked like magic! 🌟
Here’s a little tip for anyone facing a similar struggle:
– If you have a unique name that might be causing bias in the hiring process, consider using a more common nickname or a variation of your name on your applications.
Remember, your qualifications and skills are what truly matter, not your name. Don’t lose hope, keep pushing forward! 🌈
Have you ever experienced something like this? Share your thoughts and stories below! Let’s support each other in navigating the challenges of the job market. 💬 #InclusiveHiring #DiversityInWorkplace
Got the same advice before, but I’m not sure if that could cause some problems since that inconsistent with legal identity documents. And I feel like some recruiters have found out that: in some application websites they ask for legal name instead of just name.
I’ve always wondered about this. I’ve a non-english name and it’s pretty obvious. Of course, recruiters and managers can’t just OPENLY say that they would reject people based on their race but I’m pretty sure they’d definitely look at my application with more scrutiny because of my name than a person named John Smith.
Yup. As someone that’s socially awkward I know I would avoid someone if I had to ask how to pronounce their name. Since mine is one of those I put in brackets my nickname which is simple on my resume. Lots more results. Understanding how I think made me presume other people are the same LOL
Can this be classified as discrimination?
_“What’s in a name?”_
-Engelbert Humperdink
Yeah, I have a weird first name that recruiters were ignoring (because recruiters are 90% assholes), so use my middle one. I always tell them my actual name at the end of interviews though.
I have a completely unique name which is only in my small family. Only my kids will take it on.
Luckily it sounds like the most standard of standard names in my country and people would always assume it is very common.
I have always wanted to try this.
We are sorry, Mr. Hitler, but for reasons outside your control we decided to go with a more qualified candidate. Feel free to check out Academy of Fine Arts Vienna’s job postings for other roles in the future.
You know what to do, op!
Demetrius Quavonious III ?
lol I also have 2 names and I use the most “professional” sounding one haha
so far my last name hasn’t been an issue bc i live in my native country but I’ve wondered if when I emigrate the recruiters will judge my last name (a foreign employer would probably assume I’m latina but that’s not the case)
not that *I* think being latina is bad, but I’m scared that it might matter to them
Yeah. Big surprise. I remember a guy with let’s say Joe Smith-Abdellah ie hypenated last name between two ethnicities). He experimented sending out resumés where only the name ar the top was changed- Joe Smith, Joe Abdellah, and Joe Smith-Abdellah. Guess which got the most callbacks?
There’s a black guy who sued a company recently for calling him back after changing his very African American sounding name on his resume to something else. It’s very real
The folks at Freakanomics wrote about this https://freakonomics.com/podcast/how-much-does-your-name-matter-ep-122-rebroadcast/
They’ve done a BUNCH of studies showing this to be common.
Granted those studies have been about racism, not just unique/weird names.
But they show that the exact same resume will get a LOT more replies is it has a white sounding name versus a black or other minority sounding name.
Same thing plays out for rental applications by the way. On applications with the exact same background and finances, Andrew is going to get the apartment over D’Shawn every time.
It’s pretty sad. Also just makes you realize how absolutely moronic those republicans are who say racism against whites is worse than it is against others.
This is my experience. I have 2 more or less identical profiles on LinkedIn, one is with my real name and with thousands of connections, followers and actually more experience. The second one is “Thomas W”, but with less experience and almost no connections. Thomas is getting attacked by recruiters, 1-2 messages per day. I get almost nothing.
So, now you are Max Power?
There was a news article I read with a similar result. A skilled auto mechanic couldn’t get a job when he was laid off and others who were laid off at the same time from his shop did. He couldn’t even get an interview. He was American but had a Mexican name, Jose. He changed his resume and called himself, Joe, which he did go by. He started getting interviewed afterwards.
Sad state but if you have an “ethnic” name, consider putting a more common (nick) name on your resume.
Around these parts there are some active experiments with applying anonymously. Seems rather unnecessary but the preliminary results show that racism is pretty deeply ingrained in a lot of people that have the power to decide on these kind of matters.
I have a Hispanic name and I’ve pretty much known this. I’m going to use my wife’s name moving forward
I’ll guarantee I get a call right away
Goddamn racists
From experience I can tell you some recruiters reject applications based on names before even reviewing the Cv, for various reasons, but the main one being people with “foreign “ sounding names will have problem with providing their documents or communication skills , so they don’t want to “waste “ their time in reaching out.
There are some Assholes out there and it makes me sick as a POC with a unique name.
Many minoroties have faced this issue for a long time. Its discrimination but unlike other social issues of bias somehow its overlooked.
Yeah I’ve been changing my name….:/
Yeah getting named “GAYLORD FOCKER” ain’t gonna cut it for CVs man!
Glad you solved it OP!
I’ve realized it too. My mother named me after her father. He had a French name that has become more ethnic. I’ve started using my nickname on resumes now. I’ve noticed more callbacks since I started doing this. I loved my grandfather, but I hated his name. My mother had narrowed it down to three names – his, Phillip after her grandmother’s grandfather, or Michael after my dad’s brother. I’m still pissed she didn’t go with one of those. I’m also still tempted to legally change my first name.
This is the reason a past AusPost CEO introduced the concept of anonymity in resumes by stripping identifying factors out. No wonder it failed – people hate people
You should read freakanomics. A name can really hurt you and this has been happening for quite some time now.
I personally find this to be a very dark chapter in humanity’s existence. Are we really rejecting qualified candidates because of their name and skin color? Yeah, we’re doing that.
Absolutely disgusting.
my husband put that he had a disability and got radio silence. he applied with the same company but omitted the disability part, and he got a call back. This company also has a current lawsuit for discriminating against deaf people.
I’ve been doing this as well. I work in IT, so when applying I use an Indian sounding name and it’s been working out better than using my actual name
What do you do after you get called and your name doesn’t match your ID? “Oh sorry I thought you were going to discriminate me based on my race so I faked my name”?
Same – I got a job offer with a fake name and I need the job but I can’t explain
My name is really unique, first and last. Kind of a nameless foreign-sounding name. Been considering using my middle name which is much more traditional. I think I’ll go ahead and try it, thanks for this.
Just started using my English middle name for applications. I had a feeling after the interviews they probably struggled to remember or pronounce it when talking about me for consideration