In this guide, we will discuss a method to make your resume screening process more fair and less biased. This involves removing certain personal information from resumes before evaluating them.

Information to Remove

To ensure a fair evaluation, remove the following information from candidates' resumes:

• Photos
• Names
• Age (if present)
• Sex (if present)
• Address
• Phone number

Why Remove This Information?

1. Photos and Names: These can lead to unconscious biases based on appearance or ethnicity.
2. Age and Sex: These can lead to biases related to ageism or sexism.
3. Address and Phone Number: These can lead to biases based on geographical location. For example, you might assume a candidate is too far away to commute, which could be incorrect.

How to Implement This

1. Team Member Role: Assign a team member to remove the specified information from all resumes before they are reviewed by the hiring team.
2. Use of Word Editor: Use a word editor to white out, delete, or remove the information.

Benefits of This Approach

• Larger Pool of Candidates: By not unfairly eliminating candidates based on biases, you will have a larger pool of good candidates to choose from.
• Objective Evaluation: You will be able to focus on the candidates' skills and work history, leading to a more objective evaluation.
• Elimination of Unqualified Candidates: You will be able to identify and eliminate candidates who are not quantifiably good, ensuring that only the best candidates are considered.

Conclusion

Implementing this method will help you to not prejudge candidates during the resume screening process. It ensures that you are selecting candidates based on their merit and skills, rather than on personal biases. Try this approach to improve the fairness and effectiveness of your hiring process.