On 26 October 2015, David Cameron announced that a number of large employers have pledged to recruit on a “name blind” basis in an attempt to prevent discrimination.
Under the new agreement, names will not be visible on graduate recruitment applications. Large employers including KPMG, Teach First, HSBC, Deloitte, Virgin Money, BBC, NHS, learndirect and local government are committing to recruiting on the basis of name-blind applications for all graduate and apprenticeship-level roles.
The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development is also reported to be promoting name-blind recruitment and is proposing to implement this through its training and development courses.
The private-sector employers identified as participating in this scheme have only agreed to participate in relation to graduate and apprenticeship-level candidates. It is not clear why recruitment is being limited in this way. In theory, it could be applied at all levels of recruitment.
It is likely that more and more large employers will seek to follow suit in an effort to be viewed as an equal opportunities employer and to address diversity issues.
For further information please contact:
- Michelle Last
- Partner
- T: 020 3319 3700
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This article is for general information purposes only and does not constitute legal or professional advice. It should not be used as a substitute for legal advice relating to your particular circumstances. Please note that the law may have changed since the date of this article.