In the research project Understanding Discrimination in Hiring and Exploring the Possibility of Intervention through Eye-Tracking, funded by the Swedish Research Council, researchers investigated potential discrimination in selection decisions during the initial stage of recruitment. An experimental study of CV screening was conducted and analyzed, involving recruiters with experience in hiring diverse employees at Swedish-based companies and public organizations. A larger digital survey was also conducted to validate the study’s results.
Sayaka Osanami Törngren, an associate professor at Malmö University and the project lead, collaborated with several private companies and public sector organizations, including IKEA, Deloitte, the City of Malmö, and Region Skåne.
The results of the study showed that resumes reflecting ethnic and racial diversity were generally viewed favorably. Resumes featuring a Black profile picture and an Eritrean name were the ones most frequently selected during the screening process.
To disseminate the results and knowledge from the research, the Swedish Research Council funded the communication project Cross-Sectoral and Co-Created Research Communication as Cognitive Boosting for Inclusive Hiring Decisions. Together with Forum for Social Innovation Sweden research assistant Fatou Fatty, Sayaka Osanami Törngren has created communication materials for workplaces to raise awareness of potential discrimination and racism. Part of the project and the materials consists of the student assignment “Social Media for Social Change, ” in which 20 master’s students studying International Migration and Ethnic Relations (IMER) at Malmö University examined the role of managers, benevolent racism, and race and color awareness through selected research articles on the subject, and—individually or in pairs—created visual content based on what they had read.
The visual content created by the students reflects their understanding of how racism and discrimination can be perpetuated or countered in the labor market. The material is intended for use in workplaces and organizations to raise awareness of potential discrimination and racism, not only in the recruitment process but also in everyday situations within organizations, such as in policy development, promotions, and workplace environment issues.