HR Diversity consultancy welcomes 'no CV' recruitment initiative

HR and diversity consultancy, the Clear Company, has welcomed a new recruitment initiative by advertising agency, The CHI & Partners, which welcomes non-graduates and will not ask for CVs or photos. Instead, applicants will answer four ‘creative and strategic’ questions.

Chief executive of The CHI & Partners, Sarah Golding, told Campaign magazine; "Bright minds exist everywhere and our industry, more than any other, needs horizonless thinking, fresh ideas, broad experience and new blood to thrive. As university fees become more prohibitive, we – like many others – feel our industry is closing the door on talent by continuing to look for university-level qualifications on CVs."

In response, Kate Headley, Director of Consulting at the Clear Company – which supports organisations to become more inclusive in their hiring – commented;

“Traditional recruitment processes are largely outdated and can be a barrier to candidates from diverse backgrounds or those from certain socio-economic groups. During twelve years of auditing recruitment processes for some of the UKs largest employers, we have found that CV based shortlisting is one of the most common places where bias can have an adverse impact on inclusive assessment – even if we assume that every candidate is honest about their skills and experience.

“Assessing applicants by asking them strategic questions strips the process back to basics and allows the employer to make their decision based on a candidate’s core competencies alone. Forward thinking organisations adopting this approach will ultimately build more innovative, cohesive and productive teams.”

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Carly Smith
BlueSky PR
T: +44 (0)1582 790 708
E: carly@bluesky-pr.com