In celebration of Social Mobility Day on 12th June 2025, we talk with our Talent Acquisition Specialist, Lauren Jennings, about our use of blind interviews and an inclusive hiring process, opening doors for individuals from a wider range of social and educational backgrounds.
Q: You’ve recently joined the recruitment team — what’s been your impression of how Lancia approaches hiring differently?
I have loved seeing how Lancia prioritises in-person interviews, which helps our leaders build human connections with potential hires. Another standout practice is the post-interview wash-up session where feedback is shared straight after an interview, while impressions and thoughts are still fresh. This ensures that candidates receive timely, thoughtful feedback, enhancing their experience. Finally, the way Lancia embraces innovation and inclusivity in recruitment has been incredibly refreshing to see. A great example is the implementation of blind interviews, which has been met with extremely positive feedback from candidates.
Q: Blind interviews are one of the tools Lancia uses to support social mobility. Can you explain what they are and how they work in practice?
Blind interviews are a hiring method that reduces unconscious bias by removing identifiable details such as a candidate’s name, gender, or ethnicity. This approach focuses on evaluating a candidate’s skills, experience, and potential, and encourages objective decision-making. It promotes fairness, levels the playing field, and helps build a more diverse and inclusive workforce.
At Lancia, hiring teams do not receive CVs or any personal candidate information before interviews, removing any potential preconceptions or unconscious associations. Feedback is collated only after all interviews have been completed - this avoids interviewers influencing each other in the evaluation of a candidate.
Q: How do you think blind interviews help create a fairer playing field for candidates — especially those from less traditional backgrounds?
Blind interviews aim to reduce similarity bias, where interviewers may favour candidates with comparable backgrounds, education, interests, personality, or appearance. This type of bias, even when unintentional, can significantly affect hiring decisions. By removing details such as demographics, education, or background early in the process, our interviewers focus on the individual's skills, capabilities, and potential. This approach helps create a more equitable and impartial interview process. Ultimately, it facilitates smarter hiring decisions and contributes to building a diverse and inclusive workforce.
Q: What would you say to someone who’s unsure whether blind interviews actually make a difference?
Candidates have praised our fair process. They felt they were being evaluated more objectively, with their skills and potential at the centre of the decision-making, without unrelated factors influencing the outcome. This not only diversifies our talent pool but also shows our commitment to equal opportunity and strengthens our culture by fostering trust and psychological safety.
Q: What excites you most about being part of a recruitment team that’s actively trying to change the system for the better?
Being part of a recruitment team that’s driving meaningful change is genuinely exciting. By challenging outdated practices and introducing fairer, more inclusive methods, we’re helping to create opportunities for people who might have been overlooked in a traditional interview processes. There’s real purpose in making hiring decisions based on potential and ability rather than background or status. It’s incredibly rewarding to know that your work is directly contributing to a more diverse, innovative, and forward-thinking workforce. Lastly, we’re enhancing the candidate experience at Lanica making it more transparent, respectful, and human. It feels empowering to be part of a team that’s not only evolving recruitment, but setting a new standard for what good hiring looks like.
