The invisible barrier
How a name can shape a career
By Denise Aytekin / Global AI talent lead @ Board of Innovation
A while ago two women I deeply respect gave me a piece of advice that caught me off guard. They suggested that if I ever got married, I should consider taking my husband’s Belgian last name because it would make my professional life easier. Their reasoning? There’s a real and persistent bias in hiring, a clear preference for Belgian names over foreign ones. They even shared the example of an expat who changed his first name to a more European-sounding one and saw an immediate improvement in job opportunities.
At first, I was shocked. I had never considered changing my name for career advancement. But the more I reflected, the more I realized how deeply ingrained these biases are, not just in my own experiences, but in everything I’ve witnessed as a recruiter. I remembered a time when a candidate with African roots, despite having an exceptional CV, wasn’t even presented to the client because he supposedly “wouldn’t fit in the company culture which was very Flemish.” I recalled hearing someone say, without hesitation, “I’m not hiring an Indian guy for this job.”
These weren’t isolated incidents. They were symptoms of a systemic issue, an unspoken rule that favors certain names, certain backgrounds, and certain identities over others. Now here I am, realizing that my own name may be a silent barrier to opportunity. That if I were to take a Belgian name, I might be treated differently. More fairly. More equally.
But at what cost?
That suggestion, well-intentioned or not, completely stripped away the romanticism of marriage. It reminded me of a former colleague whose mother-in-law once accused her of only being in a relationship with her son to secure a sponsorship to stay in Belgium. I’m lucky: I come from a country that’s part of the EU, so I don’t need a sponsorship. And I’m blessed with the most adorable in-laws. But it’s not hard to imagine how this line of thinking could open the door to assumptions, judgment, and all kinds of uncomfortable questions.
.This article was created with assistance of AI
Image by Alex M, Pexels
The hidden cost of bias
Bias in hiring isn’t just about fairness. It’s about lost potential. It’s about companies missing out on talent because of unconscious (or sometimes very conscious) discrimination. It’s about professionals like me having to consider whether marriage should come with a career strategy. Because let’s be clear: If I ever take my husband’s last name, I want it to be for love, not for leverage. If I ever get ahead in my career, I want it to be for my skills, not because I have a more “acceptable” name. But in a world where names still dictate opportunities, what choice do we really have?
Beyond Awareness: A Call for Action
It’s not enough to acknowledge that bias exists. We need to actively dismantle it. Recruiters, hiring managers, and leaders, what are you doing to ensure that talent is evaluated fairly? Are you unconsciously filtering out candidates based on names, backgrounds, or assumptions about “culture fit”?
Companies often talk about diversity and inclusion, but true equity means recognizing and challenging these biases at every level. It means questioning why some of us have to consider changing our identities just to be seen as equals. Until then, the question remains: If a name can open doors, what does that say about the people holding the keys?
Let’s start that conversation!
“It’s not enough to acknowledge that bias exists. We need to actively dismantle it.”
- Denise Aytekin, HR Consultant