According to a 2002 study conducted by University of Chicago and Massachusetts Institute of Technology researchers, Leroy Washington may be 50 percent less likely to be called in for an interview. That means that for every one resume Brett submits, Leroy would have to send in 15 to have an equal chance of being interviewed.

“I'm appalled by the study,” says Cathy Johnson, owner of In The Game, a company that advises clients like Aon Corp., the Chicago Tribune and Black Voices.com on how to develop a diverse talent pool. “The findings point to a lack of training among recruiters. Recruiters are the first line of defense in diversity work. They have to be in tune.”

Has Johnson witnessed this phenomenon? “People like to deal with people they are comfortable with,” she says.

The study hypothesizes that some recruiters, or at least people who screen resumes, may attribute negative qualities to potential candidates based on name alone. For some screeners, so-called African American-sounding names, defined as the most common names on birth certificates of African American children during the study period, may conjure images of candidates who are less intelligent, reliable and resourceful.

Who's at Fault?

Johnson feels that companies have an obligation to train recruiters to eliminate bias in their perceptions. “One hiring manager couldn't pronounce a candidate's name, so he said I'm going to call you ‘Pete,'” she says. “I said, ‘No way.' I call this the lazy recruiter's syndrome.”

Marian Carrington, a principal in the Chicago-based, African American-owned retained search firm Carrington and Carrington, Ltd., has a similar reaction. Her firm works with multinational companies placing senior managers in a variety of industries. “I've had to explain that the origin of a name was Swahili, for example, but I'm surprised at the study's findings,” says Carrington. “With so many companies trying to identify diverse candidates, I feel a name can just as easily lead to inclusion as exclusion.”

Pointing out the shortcomings in some recruiters' understanding of diversity is one thing, but that doesn't help candidates avoid their names' potential negative impact.

What Should You Do?

“Use initials,” says Johnson. “I'm a realist, and I advise candidates to eliminate elements in the resume that point to race and gender.” In addition, Johnson suggests that email addresses and voice mail messages should be what she calls “professionally neutral.”

Carrington has a different view. “Using initials is ridiculous,” she says. “At some point, I'm going to have to know the person's name. But remember, I've been hired in most cases specifically to identify people of color. Plus, at the higher levels where we're placing candidates, this is less likely to be an issue.”

Some recruiters argue that they're just the messengers -- the hiring manager makes the decision, and the recruiter's job is to present candidates who are most likely to be hired.

Johnson doesn't buy that logic. “Companies tend to focus on the qualities you have rather than what you've done,” she says. “At root, it's an approach that is task-oriented, not relationship-oriented. Good companies are building the skills their recruiters need to identify talent, whatever the form.”

The bottom line is that you are who you are. True diversity is not about hiding differences. It's about capitalizing on them to make for a more productive and desirable work environment. “Smart companies are interviewing strategically and checking that their values are embedded in all aspects of recruiting, from sourcing to reference checking,” says Johnson.