‘Relatable’ over qualified: UCT research exposes silent barrier facing black youth.
A study co-led by the University of Cape Town (UCT) has found that black youth in South Africa may face hidden barriers in corporate graduate recruitment, where hiring decisions are often influenced not only by qualifications and competence, but also by whether candidates are seen as relatable
The research was conducted together with scholars from Ankara Hacı Bayram Veli University and Brunel University London.
The study, titled "Relatability as a racialised construct in corporate graduate recruitment: Revealing a hidden mechanism of labour market exclusion for black African youth in South Africa", was published in the British Journal of Sociology.
According to the researchers, "relatability" can act as a hidden barrier in hiring processes, especially for black graduates in South Africa.
