Job applicants have enough to think about when
According to a survey by hiring software platform Greenhouse, 20% of job applicants feel their name is a "red flag" for recruiters, and they've changed it on their resume to sound "less ethnic," younger or a different gender. Thirty-four percent said they've experienced discrimination in the recruiting process
While it is illegal to discriminate based on these factors, unconscious biases are still pervasive in the hiring process, despite employers' efforts to address DEI in their practices. But applicants themselves struggle with cultural stigma that starts well before they even enter the professional world, says Shahrukh Zahir, founder of Right Fit Advisors, a staffing and hiring firm.
"My coach in high school couldn't say Shahrukh, so she gave me the name Sam, and I went by that name for the longest time," he says. "I just got to the point where I became confident with who I was, and I became confident with understanding that my identity and who I am should be accepted. It's OK to have differences."
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Zahir says that for immigrants in particular, the need to integrate themselves into Western culture comes with the pressure to change their name to fit with these norms. While often a "joke" in these communities, it points to a larger issue of identity and acceptance, Zahir says.
"I've hired individuals who had South Korean names, and then they changed their name to Justin, and those are the kinds of things that have just happened across time to the point where it is almost socially accepted," he says. "It also becomes like a joke, but underlying that is a bigger issue of integrating into society with a lack of support."
In the workplace, this behavior clashes with employers' vocal commitments to encouraging inclusivity and authenticity as part of their DEI strategy. Ninety-four percent of employers say they have made added commitments to advancing DEI in the workplace, according to Just Capital, a corporate ranking research firm. However, a quarter of employees say they're not sure how much progress their company has actually made on DEI.
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"A lot of companies went, hey, we welcome you, we're going to celebrate you and there are not going to be any conflicts," Zahir says. "But for some people, they have a "why fix it" mentality — if this hasn't affected us, why should we worry about it? The way for companies to evolve starts with corporate responsibility and getting out of their bubble."
With his business, Zahir has had to make some tough decisions on the kind of clients he'll work with and recommend applicants to. He shared that one client requested Zahir not send any applicant who included pronouns on their resume — that was the end of that particular relationship.
"I generally stopped working with individuals like that, because I'm big on diversity and inclusion," he says. "As recruiters, we hear all sorts of demands and requests from hiring managers that companies can't really post about, but I fundamentally believe that these organizations eventually plateau."
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Despite what Zahir has seen in his industry, he is optimistic that things are changing for the better. Employers are more willing to learn and then set the tone for how other employers should behave. They're making sure that when they ask employees to be authentic, they understand the process for that to occur.
"Things are changing, and people are changing. There are some areas that are leading by example, and other people will follow suit," he says. "It is OK to evolve, it is OK to grow. Seek guidance from different people and that will help grow your business."
