Startup CandidateX combines hiring tech and a community-driven movement to tackle recruitment bias and boost DE&I
LONDON – May 11th, 2023 - CandidateX, a UK-based provider of a DEI-centred hiring platform, has launched to market to tackle the issue of recruitment bias in the labour market.
CandidateX is looking to address this problem by putting the candidate experience at the forefront of the hiring process. It is fostering a community of like-minded candidates who are unified in their ambition to connect with inclusive employers committed to unbiased hiring. Through this human-first approach blended with the latest in hiring technology, e-learning tools and training, CandidateX plans to level the playing field and boost the chances of underestimated and often overlooked talent.
Founded by a team of ex-front-line London recruiters, CandidateX reduces unconscious bias in the recruitment process, widens access to career opportunities for under-represented groups and elevates the job seeker experience.
Prejudice and bias remain deeply rooted in the hiring process. 96% of recruiters believe that unconscious bias is a problem, and an Oxford University study discovered applicants from minority ethnic backgrounds had to send as high as 90% more applications to get a positive response from an employer than white candidates.
The CandidateX platform uses AI to anonymise the job application process by removing identifying factors such as gender, ethnicity and even socio-economic background. All of these can lead to bias in the recruiter shortlisting process. CandidateX’s platform ensures candidates have the confidence of knowing their talent is doing the talking. The anonymised diversity data generated from the CandidateX community – registered job seekers within the platform – provides vital insights to employers from their talent pools, enabling them to constantly improve inclusion within their hiring practices and talent attraction strategies.
An exclusive early-adopter programme for the platform is launching to a high-profile roster of blue-chip organisations in North America and will extend to UK early adopters, including property tech giant Zoopla.
TalentNet, a leading technology staffing solutions firm located in the US, is a CandidateX partner. It has fully integrated the CandidateX platform to make it ready for adoption by the brands that already trust TalentNet, empowering the likes of Meta and CapGemini with bias-free approaches to identify, engage and select qualified candidates.
CandidateX has also created an engaging e-Learning programme which creates and certifies ‘Inclusive Recruiters’, to understand, address and eliminate their unconscious bias when interacting with job seekers and hiring managers. CandidateX partner, Tundra Technical Solutions, a 500-strong staffing business in North America, is the first company to adopt the e-Learning programme to certify all their recruiters.
Micah Williams, President of Tundra Technical Solutions, says: “For years Tundra has explored various training partners to assist our recruitment team to better understand bias, both conscious and unconscious in the recruitment process. We are thrilled to have had the opportunity to work with CandidateX to encourage meaningful discussion, thought and reflection among the team. A fantastic course for anyone who works in the talent ecosystem!”
Zoopla has also certified their hiring team as Inclusive Recruiters. Sandy Lacey-Aberdein, Head of Talent Acquisition at Zoopla, says: “Building a diverse and inclusive culture is an active process for Zoopla, and we are always seeking to learn and better understand our unconscious biases and the tools that can prevent them from impacting our working environment. Our team has found the CandidateX Inclusive Recruiter eLearning programme incredibly engaging, and it brings us one step closer to hiring without bias. We look forward to continuing our engagement with CandidateX as they help us to make space for diverse voices in our talent pool.”
Founded in 2021, CandidateX was borne from CEO Sunil Dial’s experience struggling to get interview call-backs when seeking a new job. However, when he changed his name to ‘Simon’, he was instantly inundated with interview opportunities. This isn’t an experience unique to Sunil. The co-founders of CandidateX have each witnessed prolific cognitive bias from hiring managers which infiltrates every aspect of the hiring process, from innocuous comments to outright racism, transphobia, and sexism.
In 2022, CandidateX was awarded a grant as part of the government’s UK Innovation Fund and is working towards closing a substantial Seed funding round Summer 2023.
CEO and Co-Founder, Sunil Dial, says: ‘As long as human bias continues to influence the recruitment process, everyone loses. Companies, will miss out on valuable skills and talent, while candidates, especially those in minority groups, will be overlooked, despite the clear economic benefits that come with increasing inclusivity. Candidate user experience is at the heart of CandidateX’s proposition, and we are building an inclusive talent-first home for all those candidates who feel they are denied opportunities based on who they are and how they identify. By tackling bias head-on we are providing equal access to opportunities and creating a positive social impact in the process.’
