Release of report on Name-Blind Recruitment Pilot Project in the federal public service
News Release
January 23, 2018 – Gatineau, Quebec – Public Service Commission of Canada
Today, the President of the Public Service Commission of Canada (PSC), Patrick Borbey, released the findings of the Name-Blind Recruitment Pilot Project.
The results indicate that removing identifying candidate information from job applications had no effect on the screening decisions of managers with respect to applications from members of visible minority groups. Additionally, it showed that removing identifying information from applications significantly reduced the overall number of non visible minority candidates who were screened into job processes.
The objective of the pilot project, which was launched in April 2017, was to determine whether concealing personal information regarding a candidate’s origin from their job application had an impact on the screening decisions made by reviewers when compared to the traditional assessment method.
To complement the findings of the Name-Blind Recruitment Pilot Project, the PSC will undertake audit work, beginning in May 2018, to explore the success rates of applicants at key stages of the appointment process. It will also explore how name-blind principles could be included in the design of any future technology changes to our recruitment systems, should the need arise. The PSC will also share its methodology with departments and agencies who may decide to use name-blinding in their staffing processes.
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Quotes
“The release of today’s report is just one of the many ways the PSC is exploring innovative approaches to ensure a diverse and representative workforce while supporting bias-free recruitment within the federal public service. We will continue to push boundaries in this area while maintaining the integrity of the federal public service’s non-partisan and merit-based staffing system.”
– Patrick Borbey, President of the Public Service Commission of Canada (PSC)
Quick Facts
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Within the federal public service, all four Employment Equity groups (Women, Members of Visible Minorities, Persons with Disabilities and Aboriginal Peoples) exceed workforce availability. This level of participation has occurred for the fourth year in a row.
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Removal of identifying information from job applications had no effect on the screening decisions of applications from members of visible minority groups.
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The pilot examined results from 27 external job processes across 17 participating organizations. It involved over 2,200 candidates, of which 685 self-declared as visible minorities.
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The analysis of the final results included reviews by 3 independent reviewers: Philip Oreopoulos from the University of Toronto, Victor M. Catano from St. Mary’s University and Jean Dumais, from Statistics Canada.
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Media Relations
Public Service Commission
Phone: 819-420-6645
E-mail: CFP.Media.PSC@cfp-psc.gc.ca
Twitter: @PSCofCanada
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