To prevent hiring discrimination, Colombian companies are using truly 'blind' interviews

When it comes to reducing bias, blind processes keep everybody honest. Double-blind experiments prevent researchers from inadvertently influencing results, and blind applications put students on more even footing when competing for admission.

Now a Colombian advocacy group is rolling out a new initiative guaranteed to prevent recruiters from judging potential new hires on looks alone—by employing recruiters who are actually blind. The program from Centro de Rehabilitación Visual Integral (Eye Rehabilitation Center - CRAC) and McCann Colombia uses headhunters who are visually impaired to screen applicants.

Not only does this help people who don’t conform to traditional ideas of what a good employee should look like, it also offers fulfilling work to people with disabilities, who themselves are often discriminated against in the hiring process.

Three companies are currently using blind recruiters. The spot is running on TV, YouTube, Facebook and Google Display Network.