First Person in the World Hired Through Fully Blind Hiring Cycle

Kyiv, Ukraine — Chicago, United States — July 27, 2023 — A new initiative has successfully led to the world’s first hiring through a fully blind process. Blind hiring is a method that involves removing all identifying information from the hiring funnel, starting from the job application, up until the final interview and hiring decision. Hiding personal information such as name, gender, age, ethnicity, and more prevents both unconscious and conscious biases from affecting hiring decisions.

The key difference between the fully blind hiring process and blind recruiting procedures implemented by a number of companies in the world, is that in the case of the fully blind process, the hiring decision is made before the identity of the candidate is disclosed to the potential employer. Companies interested in participating in the project can apply here.

The experiment was conducted by CFC Big Ideas, an international business consultancy, through its subsidiary project, Global Inclusion Online Forum (GIOF), in partnership with Jobecam, the world’s leading blind hiring platform. During the experiment, Maria Bezhuashvili, who was hired for the position of HR Manager, became the first person in the world to be hired via this innovative process.

Maria Bezhuashvili became the first person in the world to be hired via this innovative process.

Jobecam, a Brazilian company that partnered with CFC Big Ideas for the initiative, is a hiring platform which comprises anonymous resumes, a blind pre-recorded interview, written assignments and tests, and one final online interview where the candidate’s face is masked with an avatar and their voice is modified with voice masking technology.

“The Supreme Court of Justice decision on affirmative action has sparked a broader conversation about diversity. No matter which position one supports, we all can agree that once race and gender are known to a decision maker, they cannot help but affect their evaluation. The only way to assess the demographics in a rational way is to keep them hidden up until the assessment is finished. After that companies that wish to do so can apply the affirmative action rule in a measured and predictable way” said Kostiantyn Gridin, partner at CFC Big Ideas and founder of Global Inclusion Online Forum.

“We are proud to have been a part of this pioneering effort, and we hope that this experiment will serve as a model for promoting fair and inclusive hiring practices across industries,” said Cammila Yochabell, founder and CEO at Jobecam.

CFC Big Ideas, Global Inclusion Online Forum, and Jobecam are committed to continuing the newly-established fully blind hiring practice, further improving recruiting and hiring experiences.

About the participating companies:

CFC Big Ideas is an international business consultancy headquartered in Dubai, UAE, and Kyiv, Ukraine, that provides services in government relations, crisis communications, event management, innovative management solutions, and business development advisory to its local and international clients.

Global Inclusion Online Forum (GIOF) is a global digital platform promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion for advocates and practitioners in the corporate world. GIOF has grown from a one-time online event organized during the COVID-19 pandemic to an annual forum. Past Annual Meetings have brought together over 8 thousand participants and more than 200 global speakers, including chief diversity officers from Fortune 500 companies.

Jobecam is a video selection platform that helps companies optimize their selection processes and reduce unconscious biases with an anonymous talent selection via video and anonymous resumes. Jobecam is a pioneer in the development of anonymous video selection technology. Since 2016, it has promoted selection processes with more diversity, efficiency, and inclusion through video technology. Jobecam’s primary values are excellence in service and experiences for companies and candidates.

Contact:

Mykhailo Kats

Head Organizer at Global Inclusion Online Forum

mka@cfcbigideas.com