A blind resume review is a simple idea: look at the evidence before you look at the person. In practice, it needs a little more structure. Removing a name helps, but the team still needs to agree on what good evidence looks like and how to compare it.
Start with the role
Write the criteria before you open the applications. What does the person need to do in the role? Which skills can be shown on a resume, and which will be tested later? A clear list keeps the review from turning into a search for a familiar profile.
Use the same list for every candidate. If a criterion changes halfway through, go back and apply it to the earlier reviews as well.
Remove what does not belong
Take out names, photos, addresses, dates of birth and other details that are not relevant to the role. Keep the experience and the skills that the rubric asks for. If the review needs a work sample, separate the sample from the personal details as well.
Be careful with the details that remain. A school name, a hobby or a language can still point to a background. Ask whether that detail is relevant to the job. If it is not, leave it out of the first review.
Score before you discuss
Ask each reviewer to score the evidence on their own before the team talks. A shared rubric makes those scores easier to compare. Write a short note for each score so the team can see which evidence led to it.
A score without a note is hard to review. A note that repeats the resume is not much better. Point to the part of the experience that matches the criterion and explain why.
Check the pattern
After the first review, look at the decisions as a group. Are candidates with a similar background moving forward? Are some criteria doing more work than others? A pattern is not proof of bias, but it is a reason to ask a question.
Review the exceptions too. A candidate who was rejected for a gap or a career change may have relevant evidence that the rubric did not capture. If the team keeps making the same exception, the rubric may need a change.
Keep the process human
Blind review is a first filter, not the whole decision. The interview, the work sample and the conversation with the candidate still matter. Explain the process to candidates and give them a way to ask questions.
A fair review is not a perfect review. It is a review where the team can explain why each decision was made and check whether the same standard was applied to everyone.