Hiring Bias: When What You Know Won't Get You Hired.

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In observance of Black History Month, my articles during this month will focus on common professional challenges faced by people of color at the workplace. The topics themselves can be quite controversial due to the reluctance and avoidance of frank discussion. My intention is that this topic becomes a topic of conversation at the workplace and evokes action among organizations and individuals to create an inclusive diverse workplace. My inspiration comes from some of my own experiences as well as those minorities who face bias silently or in private because they are afraid that their career will be negatively impacted.  

This week I will explore bias while job searching.

Facing bias while trying to find a job as a person of color.  

The hiring process is normally a stressful time for most candidates. Most candidates focus on capturing their greatest career achievements in their resume and perform interview preparation activities. For minority candidates, these same concerns are exacerbated when faced with possible hiring bias. Hiring bias is not just a perception. Research supports what minorities know exists. Studies have found that candidates who had “white sounding” names had 50% more callback than candidates with ethnic names. (https://www.shatteringtheceiling.com/bias-hiring-process/). There is also known unconscious bias in hiring that has been studied and referenced in a 2015 Business Insider article (http://www.businessinsider.com/unconscious-biases-in-hiring-decisions-2015-7 ). 

On their resume, many minority candidates must first consider if they should use a “mainstream” name over their ethnic name to avoid hiring bias. These candidates must also consider whether adding professional cultural affiliations will project an appearance of insularity. Additionally, women are challenged with the question of whether wearing their hair in its “natural” state to the interview will be perceived as a threat to corporate culture. The stress of having to modify their identity affects their confidence and sends a deeper message that who they are don’t measure up. This message is further reinforced after discovering that the company has few if any people of color in leadership positions. For minorities, this information sends an unspoken message about the company culture which leaves the candidate to decipher exactly what it means.

Increasingly, companies are using the broad term “culture fit” as one of their primary criteria for making a hiring decision. For minorities, “culture fit” may mean that their ethnicity may not gel with the company, particularly if there are few minorities in the organization. Undefined “culture fit” can manifest into hiring bias. (http://www.businessinsider.com/unconscious-biases-in-hiring-decisions-2015-7 ).

Most minority candidates have adjusted to the scrutiny and consider it just an added part of the process. However, it still doesn’t erase the embarrassment, stress or pain that is felt once it registers that their accomplishment, experience and education may not be enough to be hired. Still there are others who feel extremely limited due to the additional pressure. 

I offer the following suggestions to candidates who are dealing with hiring bias:


Remain authentic and true to yourself. Those who have heard me speak publicly or are clients know my passion in this area. Changing your name or who you are devastates your confidence. The stress of changing your name and then going into the interview dealing with identity issues will distract from the interview.  Diminished confidence will negatively impact your performance during the interview. 

The façade is not sustainable. Deep down you will feel as if you are wearing a mask and hiding away the best of what you have to offer. Eventually, this can manifest into resentment that can hamper your performance on the job, your relationships and your health.

Make your resume irresistible.Your skills are needed. Fill your resume with content that highlights your accomplishments, share your experiences and maximizes your strengths. Solve a problem that the company or industry has.  Show them “what’s in it for them.”

Tap into your networks. Don’t only rely on online job boards. Get the word out that you are in the market for a position.  Solicit your friends, family, former co-workers, business acquaintances, professional associations and school alumni offices. Maximize LinkedIn – contact recruiters directly. Companies value and prioritize referrals.   

Follow-up. Update your contacts via a short email weekly on your progress. Tell them that you appreciate their help.  Share a tip that you learned that may help them. It’s natural for people to rally for others. The key is to keep the update concise.

Stay engaged. If you are unemployed, it is important to stay engaged to be able to discuss gaps in your resume.  Volunteer your expertise, continue your education (there are many free online courses); broaden your scope by taking a course outside of your comfort zone, start a side hustle, contract/consult and stay abreast of industry activities.

Take care of yourself. Make sure to take time for you. Get strength through prayer, depending on your relationships and finding ways to de-stress; exercise attend church, read or any activities that provide you comfort.  A job search can cause feelings of hopelessness and worry. The fact is that it will take time and patience.    

If you can prove it, report it. If you have experienced hiring bias of any type, report it. The following resource can help determine what can be done.  http://www.workplacefairness.org/proving-employment-discrimination.

My challenge to companies:
  • Take inventory of hiring practices and create a culture of inclusiveness.
  • Does your leadership match your customer and employee base?  
  • Does your culture invite different ideas and innovation? If your company is not diverse ask why? 
  • Why isn’t the organization attracting diverse candidates or why aren’t they being hired? Is it truly realistic that there are no diverse candidates that meet your criteria?  
  • What hidden stereotypes is your company perpetuating?  What are you willing to do to change? 
Credit Shutterstock


The world is becoming more diverse. It will be only a matter of time that your staff will not reflect the needs of your customer base. Or it will be only a matter of time that your customer base will require diversity of companies they purchase from. 

Hiring bias is a problem that is not impossible to resolve. Those who wish to argue whether or not hiring bias actually exists are ignoring what research is already displaying.

The call to confront hiring bias is an effort to create a fair and honest process for everyone, not to take anything from any one group.

Next week we will explore bias and discrimination in the workplace.

Nanette Kirk is the President and CEO of NetKi Enterprises, A resume writing and motivational services company. We are taking a step to improve our perspective and help our clients reach newer heights in their career. To learn more about us or receive career tips and in email go to www.netkienterprises.com or be inspired at www.netkient.com. Follow me on LinkedIn and the NetKi Enterprises Company page on LinkedIn. 

Resources used for this post:
Koster, M (2016 Apr. 05) Bias in the Hiring Process, Shattering the Ceiling Blog. Retrieved from https://www.shatteringtheceiling.com/bias-hiring-process/ .
Bertrand M., Mullaninathan S. (2004 Sept.) Are Emily and Greg More Employable Than Lakisha and Jamal? A Field Experiment on Labor Market Discrimination, The American Economic Review P. 991-1013). Retrieved from http://www.uh.edu/~adkugler/Bertrand&Mullainathan.pdf .
Tulshyan, R. (2014 June 13) Have a foreign sounding name? Change it to get a job., Forbes.com Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/ruchikatulshyan/2014/06/13/have-a-foreign-sounding-name-change-it-to-get-a-job/#12be60645f21 
Barhat, V. (2016 Sept. 16) Should you change your name? www.bbc.com Retrieved from http://www.bbc.com/capital/story/20160915-should-you-change-your-name-to-get-a-job 
Lebowitz, S. (2015 July 17) 3 Unconscious biases that affect whether you get hired. Business Insider Retrieved from http://www.businessinsider.com/unconscious-biases-in-hiring-decisions-2015-7
Workplace Fairness, It’s everyone’s Job.  http://www.workplacefairness.org/proving-employment-discrimination

Perkins, S.R. (2016 July 29) Natural Hair in the Workplace: What Are your Rights? May be a viable resource to black women, essence.com. Retrieved from http://www.essence.com/2016/07/29/natural-hair-workplace-what-are-your-rights-may-be-viable-resource-black-women

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