Hiring can be a challenge, especially when bias enters the equation.
Thankfully, blind hiring helps level the playing field by removing personal or irrelevant details that could skew decision-making. It focuses solely on what candidates bring to the table — their skills, experience, and potential.
Let’s take a closer look at how to implement blind hiring practices that create a fairer process and help you find the best talent for your team.
But first …
What is blind hiring?
Blind hiring is a method where you remove information like names, photos, and other personal details during the hiring process.
It also involves using structured interviews, standardized evaluations, and skills-based assessments to promote fairness. (Essentially, you’re creating a system that evaluates candidates purely on merit. This helps you reduce bias at every stage of the hiring process.)
Benefits of blind hiring
Some of the top benefits of blind hiring include:
Reduces systemic hiring bias
Unconscious bias can affect hiring decisions in many ways. It can show up in resumes, interviews — and even in the way we talk about candidates. Blind hiring removes things like gender, race, or age from the process, so decisions are based on skills and experience.
Expands access to top talent
Many qualified candidates are overlooked because of unconscious biases around names, education, or appearance. Blind hiring helps you open up your hiring process to a more diverse and skilled group of applicants.
Increases workforce diversity and innovation
Blind hiring encourages diversity by reducing bias in the hiring process. Diverse teams bring new ideas and perspectives, which can lead to better problem-solving and innovation.
Boosts your employer reputation and keeps you compliant
Using blind hiring practices shows that you care about fairness, which can improve your company’s image. It also helps avoid discrimination claims.
Improves hiring accuracy
When hiring managers focus on what a candidate can do rather than making assumptions about their background, they make better choices. They choose someone who can deliver results and contribute to the company’s success without being influenced by irrelevant factors like gender, race, or background.
Improves retention and engagement
Employees from diverse backgrounds stay at companies that value fairness. Blind hiring helps create an inclusive workplace that encourages engagement and keeps employees happy, especially those from underrepresented groups.
What blind hiring can and can’t do
Blind hiring removes identifying candidate details from job applications to focus on skills and qualifications.
This helps level the playing field in the early stages, but bias can still creep in later. Candidates eventually meet interviewers, and unconscious preferences can influence decisions.
To make blind hiring work beyond resumes, you need:
- Structured interviews: Asking every candidate the same job-related questions and using a clear scoring system promotes a fair evaluation. Without this, bias can slip back in through subjective impressions.
- Bias-awareness training: Recruiters and managers must recognize how unconscious bias affects decisions and learn strategies to counteract it. (More on this in a bit.)
- Diverse hiring panels: A mix of backgrounds helps challenge assumptions and reduce the risk of hiring based on familiarity rather than merit.
Where bias shows up in hiring
Bias can appear at any stage of the hiring process.
(It doesn’t just show up during resume review.) Here’s where it often sneaks in:
- Job descriptions: Biased words can make some candidates feel like they’re not welcome to apply.
- Promotions and evaluations: Bias can affect feedback and career growth opportunities.
- Resume evaluations: Details like names or schools can unintentionally affect decisions.
- Interviews: Words like “culture fit” can often reinforce biases.
TL;DR: Blind hiring is a good step, but it only works if you address bias at every part of the hiring process. More on this in a bit.
6 actionable steps to implement blind hiring effectively
Now that you know the benefits, here’s how to make blind hiring work for you. Follow these steps to create a fairer and more inclusive hiring process:
Step 1: Remove personal information from resumes
Choose a redaction tool that automatically removes names, photos, and addresses from resumes. (Some automated tools include Blendoor, GapJumpers, or Pinpoint.) These anonymize resumes before you can review them.
Just make sure the tool you choose is unbiased.
Some blind hiring software may unintentionally introduce bias. For instance, it might filter out non-traditional job titles. Or undervalue certain career paths. Do your research and read through reviews to make sure the tool follows the AI Bill of Rights to prevent hidden biases.
(While it’s not legally binding, it emphasizes transparency, bias mitigation, and human oversight — which all support fair hiring practices.)
With the growing use of AI headshots, companies need to be extra vigilant. Even when well-intentioned, allowing or encouraging applicants to include headshots can unintentionally reintroduce bias based on perceived age, race, gender, or attractiveness. To uphold the integrity of blind hiring, employers should clearly state in job descriptions that headshots are not required and will not be considered, regardless of whether they are AI-created.
Be sure to also check EEOC guidelines (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission). These are legally enforceable in the US and prohibit hiring discrimination based on race, gender, age, and other protected characteristics. The EEOC has issued guidance on AI-driven hiring tools to make sure they don’t violate anti-discrimination laws.
Step 2: Write inclusive job descriptions in your job postings
Stay away from biased language, like “looking for a ‘rockstar’ or ‘aggressive’ person”. Instead, use gender-neutral language and note the actual skills the candidate needs for the job.
For instance:
- Instead of “ninja developer”, say “experienced software engineer with expertise in [specific programming languages].”
- Instead of “rockstar salesperson”, say “high-performing sales professional with a track record of exceeding targets.”
- Instead of “aggressive negotiator”, say “skilled in strategic negotiation and conflict resolution.”
Tools like Textio can help make sure your job descriptions don’t turn people away.
Step 3: Use skills-based assessments before the interview stage
Have job candidates complete relevant tests or challenges to show their skills.
These should be relevant to the job they’re applying for. For example, a tech company might ask for coding samples or problem-solving tasks. For a marketing role, a candidate might need to analyze datasets and suggest marketing campaign optimizations and SEO strategies.
Let candidates know that you use these because you’re committed to unbiased hiring.
Post your blind hiring policies on your careers page and in job ads, where they’re easy to find. Ask candidates for feedback on their experiences and use it to improve. (This builds trust and shows that you’re serious about fairness.)
Step 4: Standardize the interview process
Follow the same format for every interview so each candidate gets a fair shot.
What works:
- Consistent questions: Ask every candidate the same job-related questions to promote fair comparisons. Behavioral and situational questions work best, such as “Tell me about a time you solved a difficult problem.”
- Defined scoring system: Create a rubric with clear criteria for strong, average, and weak responses. This prevents interviewers from relying on gut feelings or personal opinions.
- Multiple evaluators: Use diverse interview panels to counter individual biases. (Each interviewer should score responses independently before discussing.)
- Structured note-taking: Have interviewers document responses in a standardized way so decisions are based on facts — not impressions.
What doesn’t work:
- Leading questions: Avoid phrasing that hints at the “right” answer, such as “Do you work well under pressure?” Instead, ask, “Tell me about a time you handled a high-pressure situation.”
- Relying on “culture fit”: If not clearly defined, this can become a way to justify biased decisions. Focus on values alignment and skills instead.
- Unstructured conversations: Casual, free-flowing interviews often lead to hiring based on personal connection rather than qualifications.
Step 5: Train hiring managers to spot bias
Show hiring managers how to recognize and challenge their biases. (Make this training mandatory for all hiring managers across your departments.)
Explain how bias can show up in many ways. For instance, favoring candidates who are similar to themselves. Or making snap judgments based on someone’s name, age, or background.
Teach them to focus on facts like: Qualifications, topical experience, and how well candidates perform in interviews or tests. Encourage them to stick to a clear set of criteria for every candidate — like we touched on above. This is especially important when they need to know how to hire developers for a startup, as finding the right talent can significantly impact the company’s success.
Drive this home by providing real-life examples of how bias can show up. Role-playing or case studies are great for this. The more practice they get, the better they’ll be at spotting bias in real situations.
Regularly check in with them to reinforce these practices and make sure fairness is always part of their decision-making process.
Step 6: Track and measure hiring outcomes
Keep a close eye on your hiring processes and the outcomes they produce.
Be open to making changes when needed to keep your practices fair and compliant.
Measure things like:
- How different groups of people move through each stage of the hiring process.
- How candidates hired through blind hiring perform and stay with the company.
- The diversity of candidates you hire over time.
*Pro-Tip: Collect feedback from your team about how they feel the hiring process is working — and if they’re noticing any biases or inefficiencies. Likewise, ask candidates about their experiences to spot potential blind spots in your process. Use this data to keep improving your blind hiring process.
(You can also use diversity dashboards or automated tracking systems for a more granular look at how your efforts are paying off.)
Wrap up
Blind hiring is a strategic way to make your hiring process more fair and inclusive. The goal isn’t to lower standards. But to remove barriers that might keep qualified candidates from being fairly considered.
But it’s not a quick fix.
Although it helps reduce bias early on, you still need structured interviews and objective assessments to hire the best talent without alienating anyone.
To implement blind hiring practices and reduce unconscious bias, be sure to:
- Step 1: Remove personal information from resumes
- Step 2: Write inclusive job descriptions
- Step 3: Use skills-based assessments before interviews
- Step 4: Standardize the interview process
- Step 5: Train hiring managers to spot bias
- Step 6: Track and measure hiring outcomes
Ready to improve your hiring process? Contact Apollo Technical to see how we can help you implement blind hiring and bring diverse, top-tier talent to your team.
Author Bio:
Jeremy is co-founder & CEO at uSERP, a digital PR and SEO agency working with brands like Monday, ActiveCampaign, Hotjar, and more. He also buys and builds SaaS companies like Wordable.io and writes for publications like Entrepreneur and Search Engine Journal.
