Beyond the Blind: Why Personalisation Wins in 2025

Edan Haddock - Total Talent 🇦🇺

In this episode of Edan Haddock – Total Talent, Edan dives deep into the hot topic of blind resumes and blind job applications. Sparked by two recent experiences—one colleague curious after reading about blind resumes, and a leading survey that framed them as “best practice”—Edan unpacks both sides of the debate.

He explores the promise of blind applications in reducing bias, but also the pitfalls: loss of context, dehumanisation, inefficiency, and the risk of making candidates feel like numbers. Drawing on candidate feedback, research, and real-world reflections, Edan argues that while well-intentioned, blind resumes aren’t the future.

Instead, he makes the case for hyper-personalisation in recruitment—approaches that make candidates feel seen, valued, and connected. This is a thought-provoking episode for anyone in talent acquisition, HR, or leadership, who wants to design fair, inclusive, and human hiring practices in 2025 and beyond.