A survey of members of the African Workers Network of Ireland found that half believed that anonymous names of job applicants during the recruitment process would help increase the diversity of Irish workplaces, reports RTE.
70% of surveyed members believe that including professionals from diverse backgrounds on the interview panel is the best way to eliminate implicit bias in hiring.
Other recommendations include assessing applicants based on their skills rather than the degree they hold or the college they attended.
Less than half focus specifically on candidates from diverse backgrounds to create targeted internship programs.
The survey was conducted on the occasion of APNI Career Day 2023 in cooperation with Linkedin, reports RTE.
However, many African professionals in Ireland consider their ethnicity an advantage, with almost four in 10 respondents saying that their ethnicity has had a positive impact on their professional development.
Among the recommendations from the study was the implementation of unconscious bias training, often aimed at eliminating biases based on race or gender that can ultimately impact hiring or promotion practices.
“A big part of that is evolving hiring practices to ensure that everyone is being considered in the same light and that people are not missing out on job opportunities because of their name or due to the university they went to being unfamiliar,” Sewagodimo Matlapeng, APNI Career Lead said, reports RTE.
Sue Duke, Country Manager of LinkedIn in Ireland said: “The net benefit is a more diverse workforce which is naturally more innovative due to diversity of thought. Companies large and small can work towards this by taking simple steps.”
“This could include considering how they can be more inclusive through initiatives like Black History Month or ensuring their recruitment process does not inadvertently overlook candidates simply because of where they went to university,” she added.
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