Across a variety of industries, particularly technology and skilled labor, African-American, Black, Hispanic, and Latinx individuals are significantly underrepresented among the workforce. This is called out in extensive research which documents that bias and discrimination exist in recruiting and hiring practices, limiting access to open roles for people of color, and that this trend has shown only minimal improvement over time. This research provides distinct evidence of the effects of bias and discrimination throughout the employment process.

• “Among those in…the technology industry…, 72% of Blacks say a major reason why Blacks and Hispanics are underrepresented in these jobs is because they face discrimination in recruiting, hiring and promotions.” ¹
• Approximately 3 in 10 (29%) Hispanics and Blacks indicate that they are “Sometimes” or “Usually” treated unfairly in the recruitment and hiring process and in opportunities for promotion and advancement. ²
• White applicants receive 36% more callbacks than equally qualified Black applicants, indicating that even prior to the actual employment experience, people of color are at a significant disadvantage. 
• “A White name yields as many more callbacks as an additional eight years of experience” ³
• Nearly 6 in 10 (57%) Black employees…say that their employer does not pay enough attention to increasing racial diversity. ⁴

A proven method for overcoming some of these barriers is to leverage true data-based and objective decision-making rubrics for eliminating bias and discrimination in recruitment, hiring, and promotion. Organizations such as IBM have built successful models leveraging the MyInnerGenius (MIG) platform, which leverages a combination of empirically validated assessments, along with applicants’ demonstrated skills, as represented by technical certifications and badges, to match applicants to the most appropriate roles and make talent acquisition decisions based on qualifications, irrespective of the candidate demographics.  

The MIG assessment platform is based on “a science-based, non-biased approach to assess cognitive skills, abilities and personality traits to…increase career placements, job satisfaction and retention.” ⁵ Combining these assessment results with evidence of an applicant’s technical abilities and qualifications creates an unbiased presentation of their actual, rather than subjectively-evaluated fit for a role. As shown in Figure 1, using a combination of assessments presents a significantly better predictor of employee performance than other selection methods. 

Figure 1 – Employee selection

The level of predictive accuracy improves exponentially when we combine skill tests with personality assessments such as MIG, as demonstrated in Figure 2.  

Figure 2 -Predicting job performance

Ultimately, “[u]sing unbiased, capability and behavior-based tools ensures…[your company]…is only looking at job-related capabilities to uncover people’s potential. Using capabilities to make sure you have the right people with the right skills in the right roles means a more diverse and inclusive workforce that is better positioned to meet organizational objectives.” ⁶

Equally as important is the ability to show that candidates selected this way are equally productive and successful as those hired in more traditional ways. Results from implementation of assessment-based selection and hiring show that candidates who use and are identified through MIG are nearly twice as likely to stay in their roles. ⁷ IBM, which implemented MIG in combination with their technical certification and badging program realized dramatic improvements in multiple KPIs related to the employment experience, saving an estimated $12,000 per headcount, including $4,100 in recruiting alone. Further, they were able to reduce onboarding time and costs and lower new hire attrition. The evidence is clear. The time to rethink recruiting and hiring is here. No matter how it is evaluated, it is good for business.

References:

• 1- Funk, C. and Parker, K. (2018, January 9). Blacks in STEM jobs are especially concerned about diversity and discrimination in the workplace. Retrieved from https://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2018/01/09/blacks-in-stem-jobs-are-especially-concerned-about-diversity-and-discrimination-in-the-workplace/.
• 2- Funk, C. and Parker, K. (2018, January 9). Blacks in STEM jobs are especially concerned about diversity and discrimination in the workplace. Retrieved from https://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2018/01/09/blacks-in-stem-jobs-are-especially-concerned-about-diversity-and-discrimination-in-the-workplace/.
• 3- Francis, D. (2020, June 24). Employers’ replies to racial names. Retrieved from https://www.nber.org/digest/sep03/w9873.html.
• 4- Funk, C. and Parker, K. (2018, January 9). Blacks in STEM jobs are especially concerned about diversity and discrimination in the workplace. Retrieved from https://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2018/01/09/blacks-in-stem-jobs-are-especially-concerned-about-diversity-and-discrimination-in-the-workplace/.
• 5- Hartsoch, D. (2020). MyInnerGenius Capability System Benefits. Retrieved from https://app.box.com/s/srhpe2orp99m03k8xdp2kxvu26x3go1m.
• 6- Hartsoch, D. (2020). MyInnerGenius Capability System Benefits. Retrieved from https://app.box.com/s/srhpe2orp99m03k8xdp2kxvu26x3go1m.
• 7- Leaser, D. (2019, may 13). The IBM New Collar Certificate Program. Retrieved from https://ibm.ent.box.com/s/9vdsvcugpi1z24vs1fo0y108vxqc2l44.