Clegg in push for blind CVs
JOB APPLICATIONS would be fairer if CVs were made anonymous and schools were not mentioned, Nick Clegg claimed yesterday.
The deputy Prime Minister believes racist HR staff may judge applicants on their names, and the “old boys network” means having a prestigious school on the form helps some applicants to the disadvantage of others.
Clegg has persuaded 50 large businesses to promise to consider reviewing their processes in an effort to end the “who you know, not what you know” culture. Between them, the 50 signatories employ 2m people, and include Barclays, Tesco, and BP.
In promoting his “business compact,” Clegg also called for internships to come with financial support to cover expenses like accommodation, or paying the minimum wage.
The deputy PM’s office said that signing the compact encourages, rather than forces, employers to use an anonymous application process, explaining “it is about finding the right approach for each firm.”
However, business leaders have in the past rejected “nameless” or “blind CVs” on the basis that they do not address discrimination properly and introduce huge bureaucracy – candidates could still be judged on gender or race in interviews, for example.