No resume, no interview, no biases: Will this new hiring concept catch on?

Consider this. You apply for a vacancy at a technology company and complete a series of online tests before being hired. No resume. No interview.

It's a concept called blind hiring and is slowly making its way into the Indian recruitment market. An applicant will be hired on the basis of analytical tests to assess their competence and all that matters is a candidate's suitability for a particular role, said Aditya Narayan Mishra, Chief Executive Officer of CIEL HR Services.

It could even be seen as a way to promote diversity in the workplace as the method rules out discrimination on the basis of religion, gender, race or qualifications.

Human resource experts say that no matter how rational an interviewer is, biases often creep into the recruitment process. In the engineering sector, women are often overlooked for particular roles.

At some companies, married women are not preferred in anticipation of a pregnancy and the maternity leave that will follow.

Blind hiring seeks to negate these biases and view all candidates through the same lens. The interviewer does not meet the candidates and their details are not disclosed.

"They are put through multiple aptitude tests and are hired based on their capabilities," Mishra said. "You do not see where they worked and the degrees they possess."

He said that such hiring practices are suitable for startups and new-age companies which hire for niche roles, adding that it is still early days for the concept.

It may be a while before this concept catches on at larger organisations, but HR outsourcing firms have already received requests from several Bangalore-headquartered startups to help build the ecosystem for blind hiring.

Companies are also seeing a cost advantage in being able to hire the right candidate in quicker time without having to spend time and money on travel.