Blind ambition
As a big law firm introduces 'CV blind' interviews, we ask what else might benefit from similar thinkingLast month, it was widely reported that Clifford Chance has introduced a ‘CV blind’ policy in a bid to curb any bias towards Oxbridge candidates when recruiting graduates for training contracts.
The theory is that by equipping final stage interviewers with nothing more than each candidate’s name, the firm will be helping to put an end to the ‘old boys network’ effect. So there’ll be no more comparing notes on the latest Footlights’ production or the Bullingdon Club initiation ceremony for Clifford Chance interviewees.
But should this be the shape of things to come in law and other equally Oxbridge-dominated professions? And what else could HR professionals start doing blind in a bid to create more of a level playing field – or just to spice things up a bit around the office?
The ‘CV blind’ approach
Whilst you could be forgiven for thinking that Clifford Chance’s CV blind strategy is too little too late (as it only kicks in if people reach the final interview stage) the firm says it’s already making a real difference in terms of the number of universities from which it recruits. After the first year of CV blind, Clifford Chance recruited its new graduates from 41 different universities, up almost 30% on the previous year.
Obviously, the smart would-be lawyer who wants to drop the name of their university into an interview answer isn’t going to find it too difficult to do so, and it’s probably going to be a fair assumption that someone called Tarquin who has a double-barrelled surname and a cut-glass accent didn’t go down the comprehensive school/new university route (although stranger things have happened).
But arguably any step forward in making Oxbridge-heavy professions like law more open has to be a good thing. Perhaps politics will be next?
While we’re waiting for that to happen – and let’s face it, it could take a while – we’ve taken a look at some other HR stuff that could benefit from a blind approach.
Ask the boss sessions
We all have our fair share of awkward questions for the bosses. Why did they restructure the entire business? How come they’re never in the office? Why can’t everyone finish early on a Friday, like they do?
The thing is, not many of us would actually dare ask them. So what if the bosses got those questions blind? That could involve inviting the MD to sit on a chair in the middle of a large room, blindfolding him or her and then letting employees fire away (with their questions, not with catapults – just to be clear).
But it might be slightly easier if HR collates all the employees’ burning questions every month or so, and sent them to the head honcho(s) as one big, blind email. The boss would be able to put their side of the story across, everyone else would feel like they had a voice and the whole business would have considerably more authenticity than alternative methods.
Recruitment marketing
As print advertising has faded from the scene, so has the ‘blind’ recruitment ad. But it might be nice to celebrate the good old blind ad with a dedicated ‘blind ad month’.
That’s right – a whole month where all recruitment adverts across all media are run blind. In fact, we think it’s only fair. Because just as some organisations may look more favourably upon an Oxbridge grad, some students, graduates or professionals may look more favourably upon a magic circle law firm. Or a big four accountancy firm. Or a well known FMCG company. Or an uber-cool technology giant.
If we want a really level playing field, maybe it should work both ways. Who’s in? Oh. Well, it was a good idea on paper.
Bonuses
Everyone knows that if you’re at the bottom rung of the ladder, your bonus isn’t going to be anything like the bonuses of the top bosses. Or even the middle ones. Or even the people who have just a little bit more experience than you.
Make the process blind though, by giving everyone the opportunity to anonymously state their case for getting a bonus, and it could lead to some interesting results. Should the office junior who single-handedly organised the staff Christmas party get a smaller bonus than the senior manager who arranged for a junior member of staff to single-handedly organise the staff Christmas party?
Of course, it would probably still end up that the more senior people do take on more responsibility and therefore are fully deserving of their bigger rewards, in which case the blind process would just reaffirm their exceptional contribution and everyone will, theoretically, be happy.
The disciplinary process
Nobody likes to be the bearer of bad news – not even the most seasoned of HR managers. So having to tell someone they need to pull their socks up isn’t one of the cheerier parts of the job.
And that’s why a blind disciplinary process could be the way forward. In this case, it would involve the use of a strategically placed screen to block out the face of the designated bearer of bad news (stroking a fluffy white cat would be optional; ejector seats and shark-infested pools would be strictly prohibited).
The blind disciplinary process is the perfect way for the HR professional to get the job done in a highly professional fashion, and yet to still have a nice, friendly chat with the employee in question next time their paths cross at the water cooler (if the employee survives the process, that is). What’s not to like?
Inductions
This idea involves blindly picking out induction activities from a hat. New joiners might get an introduction to their part of the business (or any other part of the business, with it being blind).
But it could just as easily end up being an ABBA-themed karaoke session. A tour of all the sandwich shops within a 10-minute radius of the office. Or perhaps a game of blind man’s buff. It would be a bit random, but the feedback forms would make for interesting reading.
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