Is the traditional CV obsolete in a brave new world of work?
The Spectator magazine made headlines after it announced that its new intern was a 48-year-old mother of three.
Katherine Forster beat graduates from some of the UK’s top universities to gain the coveted role at one of the UK’s leading political journals.
But her appointment was not a publicity stunt or a one-off event – it was as a result of the magazine’s noCVs policy when recruiting for internships. This means that candidates must complete a set of tasks, but their name, age, sex and education are not taken into account.
Would a no-CV policy work more widely? We asked Welsh employers what they thought of the approach.
Elena Servini, corporate and commercial associate at Acuity Legal I THINK this is a fantastic way to appoint a new team member as it removes the various levels of discrimination that you inevitably encounter in the recruitment process. I genuinely don’t know why blind recruitment isn’t adopted far more widely; I think it’s one of the positive levers employers could use to remove the unconscious biases that still persist around class, education and gender.
Personally, I was fortunate in that my employer was hugely supportive and empowering when I wanted to return to the workplace after a period of maternity leave. The corporate law world is notorious for being a challenging place for returning mothers, but I was given the opportunity to return at my own pace on a part-time basis.
Sadly, my employer is very much the exception in the sector, and this should not be the case in 2017. If we want to make the workplace more diverse and more embracing of people of all backgrounds, we need to look at initiatives like this and judge people on their ability to do the job, rather than on their educational background or life circumstances.
Dale Williams, MD Recruitment IN GENERAL as an idea I like it, it’s something different.
I think the approach would work with certain businesses and for certain levels of role, but I’m not sure it’s transferable for more senior positions where specific things are expected in terms of qualifications and experience.
However, where a role requires softer skills that can be tested with- of Yolk out the need for a detailed CV being submitted, it could be an option.
It’s easy to look at the recruitment process and say there’s no need for a CV but you can be sure in every situation there will be an application process and selection criteria.
Ultimately the CV might be a piece of paper, but in terms of recruitment it’s the key to the door.
I think the CV will always be part of the process of applying for a job because it’s how you present yourself as a candidate in a concise manner.
The CV has moved online with LinkedIn and video CVs have tried to make their mark, but these haven’t really replaced the traditional CV.
Bethan Lewis, communications director of Brighter Comms WE RECRUIT, we obviously look at educational achievement to help us shortlist. But we find that setting tasks gives us a much better idea of a candidate’s ability to undertake the work that will be expected of them.
It’s surprising the results this can throw up; sometimes candidates who look great on paper struggle with the tasks we set, while others who perhaps have a less impressive academic record really shine in this part of the interview process.
By making their intern recruit- ment process entirely task-based, The Spectator has really honed in on what matters when it comes to selecting a new team member – which is their ability to do the job.
Obviously this will be more suitable for some types of jobs than others, but we found this a really interesting approach that we would be keen to explore when we look for new team members in the future.
Cerys Furlong, chief executive of Chwarae Teg AT CHWARAE Teg we work with businesses to help them develop modern working practices - this includes ways of reducing or removing gender bias from recruitment.
What’s most telling in this case is that when The Spectator took away social, gender and class signifiers from their recruitment process, a 48-year-old mother beat some of the brightest graduates to an opportunity that could potentially be life changing.
Judged on ability alone, Katherine Forster was able to overcome some of the barriers and unconscious biases facing women looking to return to work after a career break.
We know employers often opt for people who look and sound like them, and this is an ongoing cycle that means women – particularly those of a certain age and returning mothers - continue to be under-represented in senior positions, on boards and, more widely, in politics and civic life.
I congratulate The Spectator for taking such an equitable approach to their recruitment process, but let’s not forget that this is a one-off case – not to mention great publicity for the magazine.
What we need are more systematic improvements in the way employers recruit. There is a wealth of diverse talent out there, and by recruiting within narrow parameters that reinforce the way things have always been done, business, the economy and wider society miss out.