ESA uses space tech to promote workforce diversity
Global corporations are boosting business by accessing a more diverse pool of talent, thanks to a pioneering approach to recruitment that uses technologies first developed for space.
The hiring solution – developed by UK-based start-up firm MeVitae – mitigates unconscious and algorithmic biases that often cloud initial screening decisions.
Backed by ESA and the UK Space Agency, it uses technology originally designed to detect faults in space equipment by analysing telemetry data.
MeVitae’s solution – which integrates directly into application tracking systems – applies this technology to scrutinise recruitment patterns and uncover anomalies and undetected biases, enabling organisations to understand how they can improve their hiring.
On top of this, the recruitment tool enables companies to automatically redact more than 20 types of information that could be subject to bias, including name, gender, and university.
Following the project, MeVitae expanded its operations to the US market, recently adding tech giants Microsoft and Oracle to its list of partners.
Riham Satti, Chief Executive and Co-Founder of MeVitae, said: “Pairing with ESA really skyrocketed our capabilities in the development phase and helped us build the products that companies are using today.
“The hiring process plays a pinnacle role in developing diverse teams and our work is relevant now, more than ever. We are proud to offer organisations a proven method of driving diversity in the workplace, with our clients reporting increases of more than 30% in gender and ethnic diversity since using our blind recruiting solution.”
MeVitae’s technology was supported by ESA Space Solutions, which helps European businesses develop and commercialise space-based ideas across all areas of the economy.
Rita Rinaldo, Head of the Projects and Studies Implementation Division at ESA, said: “The issue of diversity in recruitment and hiring practices is one of the biggest being faced nowadays, particularly for those recruiting and hiring within technical industries. We’re proud to have supported the MeVitae team to marry space tech with human resources, addressing the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal on gender equality in a unique way.”