The U.S. Government Thinks Video Resumes Are Dangerous

Career Management, Interview, Resume and LinkedIn

I believe we would all like to think the human resources industry is evolving into a more efficient, lean and people-driven environment. Sadly, though, it’s not and arguably never will. Why?

Because our government won’t allow it.

About 5-8 years ago, everyone was excited to see that modern technology finally caught up with resumes and interviewing. Specifically, that technology was creating video resumes and cover letters. How many articles from “professionals” and “experts” do you see writing about the future of resumes and then saying it’s a video resume/cover letter?

The first wildly popular video resume was sent in 2006 by Yale senior Aleksey Vayner to Wall Street. Back then, he was ridiculed and became the laughing stock of every financial services company out there. Today, video resumes are encouraged by professionals as a way to stand out against the competition.

On the face of it, absolutely, I couldn’t agree more. Doing anything that’s more than simply sending your resume in with an application is a great idea. So, then, what is the point of this article?

The government — our U.S. government — is shutting down innovation.

 

Is The EEOC Creating Bias Where None Exists?

Let me cut to the chase. Certain rules enacted by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) have stifled any hope of video resumes ever catching on.

In a recent informal discussion letter, they discuss their thoughts on video resumes/cover letters. It’s important to note that an informal discussion letter is merely an opinion on a topic, not an official decision. However, they do give us an idea as to where they’re thinking.

The letter states:

The most obvious violation of the EEO laws is where a selection decision is “driven by express… animus.” For example, if a Title VII-covered entity identifies an applicant’s religion from viewing her religious garb in a video resume and rejects her application for employment on that basis, the covered entity has engaged in unlawful employment discrimination in violation of Title VII.

However, biased treatment is not always conscious. The EEO laws prohibit “not only decisions driven by . . . animosity, but also decisions infected by stereotyped thinking.” Because viewing a video may trigger unconscious bias, especially if opportunities for face-to face conversation are absent, covered entities should implement proactive measures, or best practices, to minimize this risk. For example, before using video resumes and other video screening devices, a covered entity could proactively formulate and communicate to selection officials how the video resumes can help assess specific qualifications and skills that are necessary for success in the position. Additionally, a covered entity could require that several people assess each video resume in relation to the stated job requirements.

Let me first say, this is only the end of the letter, not the entire letter. To read it in its entirety, click here.

It makes me think of the recent remarks of Mark Cuban when it comes to bias. If you haven’t heard these remarks, you can catch up on them by watching this video. What Cuban is talking about is an unconscious bias we all have that we cannot control, no matter how good of a person we think we are.

Now, going back to the EEOC and video resumes/cover letters. The EEOC says video resumes are troublesome “because viewing a video may trigger unconscious bias.”This is what I read: We, the government, will pass laws and rules to force you to think a certain way, whether conscious or unconscious.The disturbing part there is the implication that video resumes are wrong because you might think about someone or something in a certain way without knowing you’re thinking in that way.

Excuse me… What!? Are they serious? While I understand the importance of Title VII and many other EEO laws, this is one premise I fully disagree with and will argue until video resumes are widely accepted.

 

The “Protection” Fallacy

Let me ask this of all HR folk and hiring managers: When you receive a great resume, from whatever source, do you go online and Google that person? Because if you do, that is possible grounds for violating EEO laws, according to the premise of the Commission’s opinion on video resumes. If you visit the candidate’s LinkedIn profile and they have a picture posted, it’s possible you could unconsciously not like that picture and decide to pass on the person.

So forget about Wix, About.me, LinkedIn, Facebook, Google+ and other relevant sites that can be used in the hiring and sourcing process, because they might cause you to think of something you didn’t even know you thought about people, and it might be a federal violation.

Is this truly what our society has come to?

This type of creativity-staunching micro-management on the part of the government is not the answer. Mark Cuban was absolutely right. Extrapolating his words into my own opinion, we need to look at the bigger picture and create a society that helps each other, where we band together and love each other for what we are and who we are. As Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King Jr. once said, people should “not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”

Our country has become so focused on forcing people to think one way that we have forgotten in the process to actually help each other. What happens in a corporation when HR finds out there is possible discrimination? The first thought is termination and the second thought is then remediation. We need to stop focusing on biases we can’t control and start working toward eliminating the source of the bias in the first place. (Tweet this thought.)

If we can change ourselves for the better, then we can have a society that accepts video resumes, but more importantly, a society that accepts us for who we are on the inside, not the outside.

What’s your take on the unconscious bias debate? Do you think video resumes are “dangerous?” Share in the comments with your thoughts!

Image: Flickr

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