The Hidden Cost of Background Bias

A few years ago, we placed a developer from a Tier 3 town into a fast-growing startup. 6 months in, the founder calls us, “This guy is the hungriest person on our team.”

No fancy degree.

No fluent English.

Just raw skill.

I wasn’t surprised at the founder’s remark.

Because when someone has had to fight for every opportunity:

• Accessing internet at the local cyber café.

• Learning to code from free YouTube videos.

• Convincing their family that they have a real chance at this “career in tech”

They don’t take the job for granted.

They show up with something to prove.

And they often outperform the polished, perfect-resume hires.

That’s why I care so much about getting rid of background bias in tech hiring.

Because if you keep filtering for pedigree, you’ll miss the person who would’ve run through walls for you.

It’s not charity, it’s strategy.