Looking for a new job in Florida can be stressful, especially when you are a victim of racial discrimination. Because it’s relatively easy for employers to hide their racial bias during the hiring process, the problem of racial inequality in hiring is still rampant. Research has shown time and time again that ethnic minorities have to work harder just to get a call back from prospective employers.
Minorities fill out more applications
An employer may treat everyone who works for them equally, but that doesn’t necessarily stop them from letting their unconscious racial bias show during the hiring process. Research reveals that job seekers from ethnic minorities fill out around 50% more job applications than white job seekers. Even when researchers account for experience and qualifications, the ethnic disparity in hiring is highly noticeable.
Employers look for ethnic cues on applications
You may wonder how employers can discriminate against a job candidate that they haven’t interviewed yet. Studies have shown that certain ethnic cues on online applications can lead to discrimination. Racially biased employers may discriminate against an applicant when they notice:
- “Black-sounding” and otherwise unfamiliar names
- Affiliation with certain groups
- Natural hair versus straightened hair
- Differing styles of dress in social media photos
To compensate for this racial discrimination in the hiring process, some job applicants will actually do things to “whiten” their resumes. Anglicizing names and leaving other ethnic cues off of a resume has been shown to increase callbacks by as much as 25%.
Employee referrals perpetuate the problem
Much of the racial bias in hiring is structural and gets perpetuated by employee referrals and unconscious discrimination. While a company may do a lot of talking about inclusivity, its workplace can easily remain homogenous if it hires only through employee referrals. Some solutions to the problem of racial bias in hiring include the use of open recruitment and blinded resumes.
