This archive report was first published on 2 October 2019.
Research has shown that surname bias is a widespread issue in the labor market, with recruiters often unconsciously discriminating against candidates with certain names.
According to a study by the Korean National Statistical Office, all traditional ethnic Koreans possess one of 278 surnames, with approximately 45% of the population having either the Kim, Lee, or Park surname.
Similarly, in Kenya, a surname can be a source of suspicion and exclusion, rather than a means of inclusion. As author Alice Wairimu Nderitu notes, 'the surname boxed a Kenyan into an ethnic community, where he could be judged.'
Wairimu Nderitu's own experience illustrates this point. During a conversation with a Ghanaian friend, a Kenyan in the room assumed that the Ghanaian was Kenyan too, simply because they shared a similar name.
Studies have shown that surname bias is not unique to Kenya or even Africa. In the US, researchers from the Paris School of Economics and Stanford University found that French-sounding names received 70% more callbacks than other names.
Similarly, in the UK, a BBC test found that a job seeker with an English-sounding name was offered three times the number of interviews than one with a Muslim name.
Despite the well-sounding phrases of 'respect for diversity' and 'valuing differences,' discrimination based on surnames appears to be a worldwide systemic aspect of the labor market.
Employers need to consistently invest in educating recruiters on discriminatory behavior, particularly on changing subconscious bias patterns.
Organisations with strong reputations for valuing and respecting differences often do better than the competition in retaining talented individuals as employees.
