A 7-Minute Video That Changed Hiring Outcomes — and What It Means for Ontario Employers
- Rika Sawatsky
- Oct 17
- 3 min read
Sometimes, meaningful change doesn’t require another policy overhaul or year-long training program.
Sometimes, it takes just seven minutes.
A new study from Harvard University and the University of Exeter found that a short, well-timed behavioural intervention for hiring managers produced remarkable results for equity-deserving candidates — especially women and internationally trained professionals.
The Study: How a Seven-Minute Video Changed Hiring Outcomes
In the study, hiring managers watched a 7-minute behavioural training video immediately before making hiring decisions.
Among other things, here’s what happened:
📈 Non-national women were 28% more likely to be shortlisted and 41% more likely to be hired.
📈 Non-nationals overall saw a 13% increase in shortlisting and a 20% increase in hiring rates.
That’s a remarkable shift — achieved not through quotas or mandates, but by nudging how decision-makers think right before they act.
The video was:
✅ Short – only seven minutes long.
✅ Targeted – it encouraged managers to focus on skills and reflect on what perspectives or experiences were missing from their teams:
“If you hire everyone with similar characteristics and experiences, your group thinking and decision-making will be weaker. Diversity of thought is a strength.”
✅ Timely – delivered just before hiring decisions, when cognitive bias is most likely to influence outcomes.
Why This Matters Right Now in Ontario
As of January 1, 2026, Ontario’s new job posting laws under the Employment Standards Act, 2000 (ESA) will prohibit employers from including “Canadian experience” requirements in job postings or application forms.
That’s an important step — but only a partial solution.
The new rule controls what appears on paper, not what happens in practice.
Hiring managers can still unconsciously (or consciously) favour candidates with Canadian work experience, unless they understand why that’s problematic and how to interrupt that bias.
While Ontario’s Human Rights Code has long prohibited rejecting candidates for lack of Canadian experience (unless it’s a bona fide occupational requirement), many hiring decision-makers still don’t fully grasp what that means. And often, there are no consequences for getting it wrong.
This is where Harvard’s seven-minute video comes in — as a missing link between compliance, fairness, and outcomes.
The Missing Link: From Legal Compliance to Real Equity
For employers, this research demonstrates how behavioural insights can turn regulatory compliance into real inclusion.
A quick, evidence-based intervention like this can help bridge the gap between:
Legal compliance → following the ESA and Human Rights Code
DEI commitments → making diversity and inclusion meaningful, not performative
Talent access → reaching 100% of the qualified talent pool, not just those who “fit” existing norms
This is especially relevant for skilled immigrant women, whom Statistics Canada identifies as one of the most persistently overqualified and underhired groups in Canada.
By making small, timely adjustments to decision-making, employers can significantly reduce bias, strengthen team performance, and open access to the full range of available talent.
Learn More
The research team behind this work includes Siri Chilazi, Cansın Arslan, Katryn Wright, Priya Gill, Edward Chang, Oliver Hauser, and Iris Bohnet — names you’ll also find in Make Work Fair, a forthcoming book by Siri Chilazi and Iris Bohnet that explores more behavioural interventions employers can adopt to advance fairness in hiring and promotion.
Final Thoughts
Ontario’s new job posting laws aim to make hiring fairer — but regulation alone can’t change human behaviour.
This study shows that even a seven-minute pause for reflection can help managers make better, fairer decisions — for candidates, teams, and organizations alike.
Sometimes, the biggest breakthroughs start small.
Ready to Take Action?
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