Clifford Chance announces "CV blind policy" for graduate recruitment

Magic Circle firm Clifford Chance has introduced a "CV blind policy" in the final recruitment stage of its trainee selection process.

As reported by the Independent, staff conducting final interviews will only be given a candidate’s name prior to assessment. The strategy seeks to counter any bias that could arise should the interviewer be aware of the candidate’s educational background, including university and school attended. Laura Yeates, graduate recruitment and development manager for Clifford Chance, explained, "The overall object is to make sure we never lose out on talent, wherever it comes from. We need to make sure we have the very best people spread out across the whole of the United Kingdom in terms of institutions."

Under the new system, the firm has recruited 100 trainee solicitors from 41 education institutions. In addition, it is in contact with 57 universities throughout the United Kingdom, including the University of East London and Birkbeck College. Other recruitment activities include the Intelligent Aid essay competition, in which applicants must write a 500-word essay on a topic of importance to the firm, followed by a presentation, to win a place on the spring and summer vacation schemes. Throughout the assessment, the candidate’s university background is not known to those reviewing applications.

Dr Tessa Stone, chief executive of the Brightside Trust, has encouraged other firms to follow the "CV blind policy". She added that the approach will help those "who may not have the background and connections to have amassed the sort of ‘CV points’ corporate firms usually like to tick off - but who have a huge amount to offer to firms interested in real talent regardless of background".