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HELLO, MY NAME IS...


HELLO, MY NAME IS...


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Imagine this: A white manager is looking through applications for a position
they need to fill. The manager sets a few aside for a lack of qualifications,
adds a couple to a maybe pile, then pulls out the two applications they like
best. Both applicants are skilled and experienced; the only difference between
the two are their names. One, the manager easily recognizes. The other, they
don't know how to pronounce.

Who do you think the manager calls for an interview?

Studies have found that job candidates with “white-sounding names” were 50% more
likely to be called in for an interview than those with “non-white sounding”
names. This is the name bias in action.

The Importance of a Name
Our names are uniquely important to each of us. Names are the first thing we
learn about new people. They often hold the weight of family history or
religious or ethnic significance. Often, learning how to say “My name is XYZ…”
is one of the first phrases we master in a different language. 

Because of this importance, recognizing and dismantling the name bias is
essential for building diverse and inclusive workplaces. As Julia
Bernard-Thompson, business consultant and Trinidadian immigrant says, “If we
can’t address and acknowledge people’s humanism on such a basic level, then what
hope do we have?”



The name bias is so pervasive that the Centre for Social Investigation found
that despite having identical cover letters and CVs, ethnic minorities needed to
send out 60% more applications to receive the same number of callbacks as the
majority group.



Like implicit and affinity biases, the name bias is something we do without
necessarily recognizing it. But thankfully, as with other unconscious biases,
awareness and effort can help us take the name bias apart. As Bernard-Thompson
says, “Like anything, if you admit that it is a problem, and you show
willingness to address the problem, then people are usually willing to help you
address the problems and that’s how it gets solved.”

The Other Side: It’s important to remember that “Anglo” sounding names are only
the norm for a fraction of the world’s populace. Antonina Mamzenko, whose name
is Russian and Ukrainian, discovered that despite having trouble finding a job
after graduation, choosing not to change her name worked to her benefit. She
says, “It allowed me to build a strong personal brand and attract a very
open-minded and international client base.”




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HELLO, MY NAME IS...

Imagine this: A white manager is looking through applications ...
read more
Current


VIDEO: REINFORCING ASSUMPTIONS

Unconscious biases can be insidious, in large part because we don’t ...
read more


VIDEO: GETTING THE PRONUNCIATION RIGHT

While the consequences of the name bias can be large, thankfully the fix ...
read more
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