medium · GRE Verbal

STRENGTHEN THE ARGUMENT. A columnist argued that requiring job applicants to submit anonymized résumés — with names, ages, and photos removed — would increase the hiring of candidates from underrepresented groups. She reasoned that anonymizing résumés prevents recruiters from acting on unconscious biases when deciding whom to interview. Which of the following, if true, most strengthens the columnist's argument? (A) Some recruiters say they already make an effort to ignore applicant names when screening résumés. (B) In firms that adopted anonymized résumés, candidates from underrepresented groups were invited to interview at markedly higher rates than in comparable firms that did not. (C) Anonymized résumés take recruiters slightly longer to process than conventional résumés. (D) Underrepresented candidates are, on average, as qualified as other candidates. (E) Most job applicants say they would be comfortable submitting an anonymized résumé.

1. Some recruiters report that they already make a deliberate effort to ignore applicant names and other identifying details whenever they screen incoming résumés.
2. In firms that adopted anonymized résumés, candidates from underrepresented groups were invited to interview at markedly higher rates than in comparable firms that did not.
3. Anonymized résumés take recruiters slightly longer to read and process than conventional résumés, since missing identifying details must be reconstructed later on.
4. Candidates from underrepresented groups are, on average, just as qualified for the advertised positions as candidates drawn from the more heavily represented groups.
5. Most job applicants surveyed said they personally would feel perfectly comfortable submitting an anonymized résumé stripped of their name, age, and photograph to an employer.

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