Zurich UK tackles recruitment bias using ‘blind CVs’ for graduates

This means that Zurich hiring managers have no sight of the applicants details outside of the fact they’ve passed the pre-screening stage. This allows for a more diverse and inclusive process to help remove unconscious bias whilst aiding social mobility.

Research by a software company Arctic Shores in their 2022 report, Scrap the CV, found that CVs were a barrier to early in career employment with 43% saying they are an outdated recruitment model¹. Half of the young people interviewed said they did not think they had sufficient experience on their CVs to get jobs, with 39% pushing for an assessment on personality instead.

Zurich shakes up early in careers recruitment

Following an overhaul of the early in careers recruitment process in 2022, a simpler procedure is now in place. Applicants are encouraged to use examples of life-experience and draw on their strengths during assessments, which could put those with less work experience on a level-playing field and encourage applicants to consider their transferrable skills from alternative sources of experience. Since introducing blind CVs and simplifying the recruitment process, the proportion of candidates from ethnically diverse backgrounds has remained constant from application to interview stage.

As detailed in The Buckland Review of Autism Employment: report and recommendations, autistic people report they have far more negative experiences of interviews, group tasks and psychometric tests².

The report also found that the traditional model of sending a CV in response to a generic job specification, being shortlisted, attending a face-to-face interview with strangers, and being asked questions they have not seen before does not work well for neurodiverse applicants.

Group exercises have also been removed from the early in careers application process, to allow individual skills and the best talent for the role to be considered when hiring, rather than performance in group scenario which some may find intimidating. Reasonable adjustments are made for individual applicant needs if requested, including detailing what to expect from the interview. These adjustments can help abate any nervousness that neurodiverse applicants may experience pre-interview for example.

Michelle Ransome, Zurich’s Lead Talent Acquisition Manager, said:

“We are proud to use blind CVs, which allow managers to hire based on candidates’ strengths and skills, removing any unconscious bias and encouraging social mobility.

“We’ve seen a strong increase in applicants for both graduates and internships. By streamlining the process and making it more accessible to all, it’s allowed us to be more diverse and inclusive. This has led to a significant increase in graduate and interns declaring their ethnicity as either Asian, Black or mixed.”

Zurich graduate scheme and internship

Launching on the 9th of September, applications will be open for 34 graduate roles and 21 internships spaces, closing six weeks later, 20th October.

In addition to on-the-job training and work experience, each graduate receives the same benefits as all full-time employees, including access to the attractive Zurich pension scheme.

Benefits include:

• 12% company pension contribution.
• Private medical cover.
• Annual company bonus.
• Option to complete a formal professional qualification alongside their role.
• Rotation of different roles in certain schemes.
• Access to the buddy scheme.
• 25 days holiday a year plus bank holidays, with option to request to swap UK bank holidays for other cultural or religious holidays.
• Option to request 10 days working abroad.

Roles are available in locations across the UK in London, Fareham, Glasgow, Birmingham, Swindon and Cardiff. Placements are available across seven business areas including: Actuarial - life and general, business management, data, change and technology management, finance, Zurich Resilience Solutions and sustainable energy.

Notes to editors

¹ Arctic Shores Scrap the CV report 2022
² The Buckland Review of Autism Employment: report and recommendations - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)