Australians with non-English names get almost half the call backs for job applicants, compared to those with English names according to a recent study.
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00:00 Nimash Pranapallige knows how to roll with the punches.
00:06 But when it came to finding a job after graduating, he says it's been an unfair fight.
00:12 Yeah, it was very frustrating.
00:14 He applied for over a hundred jobs, unsuccessfully until...
00:18 My full name's about 21 letters in total.
00:20 I just kind of like shortened it down to about eight letters.
00:24 Within a couple of weeks, I was getting callbacks for like roles I desired.
00:28 So yeah, I guess it worked.
00:31 Ilham Musa had a similar experience, applying for hundreds of jobs over two years, while
00:36 studying a Masters in Business Law.
00:38 I probably only heard back from about three.
00:41 One of my friends actually mentioned that it could potentially be my name, that that
00:45 could be a hindrance.
00:46 A study from Monash Business found a 21.1% success rate for job applicants with English
00:51 names.
00:52 That figure drops to 11.6% for non-English names on written applications.
00:57 Studies from the Federal Education Department and Diversity Council this year back those
01:02 findings.
01:03 Monash Business also found non-English applicants were seen as a risk and judged to a higher
01:07 standard compared to their colleagues.
01:09 It's likely that there are race-based biases that are coming into play because someone
01:15 visually presents differently.
01:17 That is, their racial phenotype might be not...
01:21 They can't be racialised as white.
01:23 The Diversity Council, however, says employers are hurting themselves.
01:27 We know that there's a war for talent.
01:30 We know that organisations need diversity to become more innovative, to solve problems,
01:36 to be more creative, and the data is really, really clear.
01:41 Nimash eventually found work evaluating million-dollar properties.
01:45 He's decided to stick with his shortened name, Ilham, on the other hand.
01:49 My name is my identity.
01:51 I wouldn't...
01:52 And I shouldn't have to change it for any reason.
01:53 Everyone should be given a shot and you should only be tested on your capability.
01:59 Previous generations have fought this problem, and experts hope this data helps current and
02:04 future generations beat it.
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02:06 [Applause]
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