New program removes name, age and gender from job applications

Bye bye unconscious bias.

In this day and age, there are still job applicants out there who feel the need to anglicise their names or find it hard to get certain work due to their gender.

This could no longer be an issue in one Australian state, as the Victorian government announced on Friday a trial program that will assess if identifying details should be removed from a job application, including name, age, gender and location. It is an Australian first. 

Labelled "Recruit Smarter," the pilot program will run for 18 months and aims to remove unconscious biases throughout the employment process. A spokesperson for the government told Mashable Australia it is still looking into the digital tools that will be used in the process. 

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Unconscious biases are decisions, judgements and assessments we make of other people that we aren't aware of, something that is picked up through our life experiences, socialisation and education. 

These biases are something that tech companies over in Silicon Valley are already well aware of, with many businesses training employees to be conscious of these biases in a bid to increase workplace diversity. Now it's Australia's turn to do the same.

"I believe in an Australia where someone’s age, background, postcode, gender or wealth doesn't determine your chance for a fair go," Victorian Minister for Multicultural Affairs Robin Scott said in a statement.

"This initiative is the first of its kind in Australia, and an important step towards equality of opportunity in our workforce. We want employers from across the public and private sector to sign up to creating a level playing field for all Victorians."

The program will be implemented in government agencies, as well as in the private sector with companies such as Australia Post, Deloitte and Westpac involved in the program.

According to research by the Australian National University, to get as many interviews as an Anglo applicant with an Anglo-sounding name, a Chinese person needs to submit 68 percent more applications, while an Indigenous Australian must send 38 percent more. A Middle Eastern person requires 64 percent more applications. 

It's a problem that is hopefully becoming a thing of the past.

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