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Recruiting on “gut feeling” led to unconscious racial bias

A discrimination case examining how reliance on “gut feeling” in recruitment decisions led to findings of unconscious racial bias.

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appointment process | unconscious bias | race discrimination

In James and another v London & Quadrant Housing Trust, an employment tribunal upheld race discrimination claims brought by two housing managers after finding that they had not been appointed to senior roles because of the trust’s unconscious bias. The tribunal was critical of the employer’s reliance on “gut feeling” in the appointment process, highlighting the risks of subjective decision‑making where clear criteria and evidence are lacking. The case underlines the importance for employers of structured, transparent recruitment processes and objective assessment when making appointment decisions.

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