BACKGROUND
1. Field of the Disclosure

This technology generally relates to methods and systems for masking selected information in resumes, and more particularly to methods and systems for automated masking of targeted categories of information in resume documents in order to reduce potential implicit biases.

2. Background Information

In small, medium-sized, and large organizations, there is an ongoing need to recruit individuals to serve in various roles to perform various duties. Conventionally, recruiting involves soliciting resumes and curriculum vitae documents that provide information about candidates for various positions.

Documents such as resumes necessarily include personal information about a particular candidate that may be used by a reviewer to unfairly bias the reviewer's opinion for or against the particular candidate—whether consciously or subconsciously.

Accordingly, there is a need for a method for automated masking of targeted categories of information in resume documents in order to reduce potential implicit biases.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure, through one or more of its various aspects, embodiments, and/or specific features or sub-components, provides, inter alia, various systems, servers, devices, methods, media, programs, and platforms for automated masking of targeted categories of information in resume documents in order to reduce potential implicit biases.

According to an aspect of the present disclosure, a method for masking information in a resume document is provided. The method is implemented by at least one processor. The method includes: receiving, by the at least one processor, a first resume document; retrieving, by the at least one processor from a memory, at least one category that relates to a type of information to be masked; extracting, by the at least one processor from the first resume document, information that belongs to the at least one category; masking, by the at least one processor, the extracted information; and outputting, by the at least one processor, a modified version of the first resume document that includes a result of the masking.

The masking may include generating a black box that covers the extracted information such that the extracted information is not readable by a person.

The at least one category may include at least one from among a name of a university, an email address, a residential address, a name of a person, an age, and an educational background.

The method may further include receiving, from a user, at least one additional category that relates to an additional type of information to be masked.

The extracting may include applying an artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm that implements a machine learning technique in order to determine at least one portion of the first resume document to be extracted.

The AI algorithm may be configured to output, for each respective one of the at least one portion, a corresponding set of bounding box coordinates that relates to a physical position of the at least one portion within the first resume document.

When the corresponding set of bounding box coordinates for a first portion is adjacent to the corresponding set of bounding box coordinates for a second portion, the method may further include merging the first portion with the second portion.

The extracting of the information that belongs to the at least one category may include: extracting all text strings from the first resume document; and comparing each respective one of the text strings to a first predetermined list of place names and universities.

The extracting of the information that belongs to the at least one category may further include using a Regular Expression string search with respect to a second predetermined list of email address suffixes and residential address style types.

According to another exemplary embodiment, a computing apparatus for masking information in a resume document is provided. The computing apparatus includes a processor; a memory; and a communication interface coupled to each of the processor and the memory. The processor is configured to: receive, via the communication interface, a first resume document; retrieve, from the memory, at least one category that relates to a type of information to be masked; extract, from the first resume document, information that belongs to the at least one category; mask the extracted information; and output a modified version of the first resume document that includes a result of the masking.

The processor may be further configured to perform the masking by generating a black box that covers the extracted information such that the extracted information is not readable by a person.

The at least one category may include at least one from among a name of a university, an email address, a residential address, a name of a person, an age, and an educational background.

The processor may be further configured to receive, from a user via the communication interface, at least one additional category that relates to an additional type of information to be masked.

The processor may be further configured to perform the extracting by applying an artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm that implements a machine learning technique in order to determine at least one portion of the first resume document to be extracted.

The AI algorithm may be configured to output, for each respective one of the at least one portion, a corresponding set of bounding box coordinates that relates to a physical position of the at least one portion within the first resume document.

When the corresponding set of bounding box coordinates for a first portion is adjacent to the corresponding set of bounding box coordinates for a second portion, the processor may be further configured to merge the first portion with the second portion.

The processor may be further configured to perform the extracting of the information that belongs to the at least one category by: extracting all text strings from the first resume document; and comparing each respective one of the text strings to a first predetermined list of place names and universities.

The processor may be further configured to perform the extracting of the information that belongs to the at least one category by using a Regular Expression string search with respect to a second predetermined list of email address suffixes and residential address style types.

According to yet another exemplary embodiment, a non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions for masking information in a resume document is provided. The storage medium includes executable code which, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to: receive a first resume document; retrieve, from a memory, at least one category that relates to a type of information to be masked; extract, from the first resume document, information that belongs to the at least one category; mask the extracted information; and output a modified version of the first resume document that includes a result of the masking.

When executed by the processor, the executable code may further cause the processor to perform the masking by generating a black box that covers the extracted information such that the extracted information is not readable by a person.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present disclosure is further described in the detailed description which follows, in reference to the noted plurality of drawings, by way of non-limiting examples of preferred embodiments of the present disclosure, in which like characters represent like elements throughout the several views of the drawings.

FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary computer system.

FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary diagram of a network environment.

FIG. 3 shows an exemplary system for implementing a method for automated masking of targeted categories of information in resume documents in order to reduce potential implicit biases.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart of an exemplary process for implementing a method for automated masking of targeted categories of information in resume documents in order to reduce potential implicit biases.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram that illustrates a flow of data in a system for automated masking of targeted categories of information in resume documents in order to reduce potential implicit biases, according to an exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a screenshot of a graphical user interface that facilitates an execution of a method for automated masking of targeted categories of information in resume documents in order to reduce potential implicit biases, according to an exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 7 is an illustration of a process of using black boxes to mask data as part of a method for automated masking of targeted categories of information in resume documents in order to reduce potential implicit biases, according to an exemplary embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Through one or more of its various aspects, embodiments and/or specific features or sub-components of the present disclosure, are intended to bring out one or more of the advantages as specifically described above and noted below.

The examples may also be embodied as one or more non-transitory computer readable media having instructions stored thereon for one or more aspects of the present technology as described and illustrated by way of the examples herein. The instructions in some examples include executable code that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the processors to carry out steps necessary to implement the methods of the examples of this technology that are described and illustrated herein.

FIG. 1 is an exemplary system for use in accordance with the embodiments described herein. The system 100 is generally shown and may include a computer system 102, which is generally indicated.

The computer system 102 may include a set of instructions that can be executed to cause the computer system 102 to perform any one or more of the methods or computer-based functions disclosed herein, either alone or in combination with the other described devices. The computer system 102 may operate as a standalone device or may be connected to other systems or peripheral devices. For example, the computer system 102 may include, or be included within, any one or more computers, servers, systems, communication networks or cloud environment. Even further, the instructions may be operative in such cloud-based computing environment.

In a networked deployment, the computer system 102 may operate in the capacity of a server or as a client user computer in a server-client user network environment, a client user computer in a cloud computing environment, or as a peer computer system in a peer-to-peer (or distributed) network environment. The computer system 102, or portions thereof, may be implemented as, or incorporated into, various devices, such as a personal computer, a tablet computer, a set-top box, a personal digital assistant, a mobile device, a palmtop computer, a laptop computer, a desktop computer, a communications device, a wireless smart phone, a personal trusted device, a wearable device, a global positioning satellite (GPS) device, a web appliance, or any other machine capable of executing a set of instructions (sequential or otherwise) that specify actions to be taken by that machine. Further, while a single computer system 102 is illustrated, additional embodiments may include any collection of systems or sub-systems that individually or jointly execute instructions or perform functions. The term “system” shall be taken throughout the present disclosure to include any collection of systems or sub-systems that individually or jointly execute a set, or multiple sets, of instructions to perform one or more computer functions.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, the computer system 102 may include at least one processor 104. The processor 104 is tangible and non-transitory. As used herein, the term “non-transitory” is to be interpreted not as an eternal characteristic of a state, but as a characteristic of a state that will last for a period of time. The term “non-transitory” specifically disavows fleeting characteristics such as characteristics of a particular carrier wave or signal or other forms that exist only transitorily in any place at any time. The processor 104 is an article of manufacture and/or a machine component. The processor 104 is configured to execute software instructions in order to perform functions as described in the various embodiments herein. The processor 104 may be a general-purpose processor or may be part of an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC). The processor 104 may also be a microprocessor, a microcomputer, a processor chip, a controller, a microcontroller, a digital signal processor (DSP), a state machine, or a programmable logic device. The processor 104 may also be a logical circuit, including a programmable gate array (PGA) such as a field programmable gate array (FPGA), or another type of circuit that includes discrete gate and/or transistor logic. The processor 104 may be a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), or both. Additionally, any processor described herein may include multiple processors, parallel processors, or both. Multiple processors may be included in, or coupled to, a single device or multiple devices.

The computer system 102 may also include a computer memory 106. The computer memory 106 may include a static memory, a dynamic memory, or both in communication. Memories described herein are tangible storage mediums that can store data as well as executable instructions and are non-transitory during the time instructions are stored therein. Again, as used herein, the term “non-transitory” is to be interpreted not as an eternal characteristic of a state, but as a characteristic of a state that will last for a period of time. The term “non-transitory” specifically disavows fleeting characteristics such as characteristics of a particular carrier wave or signal or other forms that exist only transitorily in any place at any time. The memories are an article of manufacture and/or machine component. Memories described herein are computer-readable mediums from which data and executable instructions can be read by a computer. Memories as described herein may be random access memory (RAM), read only memory (ROM), flash memory, electrically programmable read only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), registers, a hard disk, a cache, a removable disk, tape, compact disk read only memory (CD-ROM), digital versatile disk (DVD), floppy disk, blu-ray disk, or any other form of storage medium known in the art. Memories may be volatile or non-volatile, secure and/or encrypted, unsecure and/or unencrypted. Of course, the computer memory 106 may comprise any combination of memories or a single storage.

The computer system 102 may further include a display 108, such as a liquid crystal display (LCD), an organic light emitting diode (OLED), a flat panel display, a solid state display, a cathode ray tube (CRT), a plasma display, or any other type of display, examples of which are well known to skilled persons.

The computer system 102 may also include at least one input device 110, such as a keyboard, a touch-sensitive input screen or pad, a speech input, a mouse, a remote control device having a wireless keypad, a microphone coupled to a speech recognition engine, a camera such as a video camera or still camera, a cursor control device, a global positioning system (GPS) device, an altimeter, a gyroscope, an accelerometer, a proximity sensor, or any combination thereof. Those skilled in the art appreciate that various embodiments of the computer system 102 may include multiple input devices 110. Moreover, those skilled in the art further appreciate that the above-listed, exemplary input devices 110 are not meant to be exhaustive and that the computer system 102 may include any additional, or alternative, input devices 110.

The computer system 102 may also include a medium reader 112 which is configured to read any one or more sets of instructions, e.g. software, from any of the memories described herein. The instructions, when executed by a processor, can be used to perform one or more of the methods and processes as described herein. In a particular embodiment, the instructions may reside completely, or at least partially, within the memory 106, the medium reader 112, and/or the processor 110 during execution by the computer system 102.

Furthermore, the computer system 102 may include any additional devices, components, parts, peripherals, hardware, software or any combination thereof which are commonly known and understood as being included with or within a computer system, such as, but not limited to, a network interface 114 and an output device 116. The output device 116 may be, but is not limited to, a speaker, an audio out, a video out, a remote-control output, a printer, or any combination thereof.

Each of the components of the computer system 102 may be interconnected and communicate via a bus 118 or other communication link. As illustrated in FIG. 1, the components may each be interconnected and communicate via an internal bus. However, those skilled in the art appreciate that any of the components may also be connected via an expansion bus. Moreover, the bus 118 may enable communication via any standard or other specification commonly known and understood such as, but not limited to, peripheral component interconnect, peripheral component interconnect express, parallel advanced technology attachment, serial advanced technology attachment, etc.

The computer system 102 may be in communication with one or more additional computer devices 120 via a network 122. The network 122 may be, but is not limited to, a local area network, a wide area network, the Internet, a telephony network, a short-range network, or any other network commonly known and understood in the art. The short-range network may include, for example, Bluetooth, Zigbee, infrared, near field communication, ultraband, or any combination thereof. Those skilled in the art appreciate that additional networks 122 which are known and understood may additionally or alternatively be used and that the exemplary networks 122 are not limiting or exhaustive. Also, while the network 122 is illustrated in FIG. 1 as a wireless network, those skilled in the art appreciate that the network 122 may also be a wired network.

The additional computer device 120 is illustrated in FIG. 1 as a personal computer. However, those skilled in the art appreciate that, in alternative embodiments of the present application, the computer device 120 may be a laptop computer, a tablet PC, a personal digital assistant, a mobile device, a palmtop computer, a desktop computer, a communications device, a wireless telephone, a personal trusted device, a web appliance, a server, or any other device that is capable of executing a set of instructions, sequential or otherwise, that specify actions to be taken by that device. Of course, those skilled in the art appreciate that the above-listed devices are merely exemplary devices and that the device 120 may be any additional device or apparatus commonly known and understood in the art without departing from the scope of the present application. For example, the computer device 120 may be the same or similar to the computer system 102. Furthermore, those skilled in the art similarly understand that the device may be any combination of devices and apparatuses.

Of course, those skilled in the art appreciate that the above-listed components of the computer system 102 are merely meant to be exemplary and are not intended to be exhaustive and/or inclusive. Furthermore, the examples of the components listed above are also meant to be exemplary and similarly are not meant to be exhaustive and/or inclusive.

In accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure, the methods described herein may be implemented using a hardware computer system that executes software programs. Further, in an exemplary, non-limited embodiment, implementations can include distributed processing, component/object distributed processing, and parallel processing. Virtual computer system processing can be constructed to implement one or more of the methods or functionalities as described herein, and a processor described herein may be used to support a virtual processing environment.

As described herein, various embodiments provide optimized methods and systems for automated masking of targeted categories of information in resume documents in order to reduce potential implicit biases.

Referring to FIG. 2, a schematic of an exemplary network environment 200 for implementing a method for automated masking of targeted categories of information in resume documents in order to reduce potential implicit biases is illustrated. In an exemplary embodiment, the method is executable on any networked computer platform, such as, for example, a personal computer (PC).

The method for automated masking of targeted categories of information in resume documents in order to reduce potential implicit biases may be implemented by an Automated Masking of Targeted Information in Resumes (AMTIR) device 202. The AMTIR device 202 may be the same or similar to the computer system 102 as described with respect to FIG. 1. The AMTIR device 202 may store one or more applications that can include executable instructions that, when executed by the AMTIR device 202, cause the AMTIR device 202 to perform actions, such as to transmit, receive, or otherwise process network messages, for example, and to perform other actions described and illustrated below with reference to the figures. The application(s) may be implemented as modules or components of other applications. Further, the application(s) can be implemented as operating system extensions, modules, plugins, or the like.

Even further, the application(s) may be operative in a cloud-based computing environment. The application(s) may be executed within or as virtual machine(s) or virtual server(s) that may be managed in a cloud-based computing environment. Also, the application(s), and even the AMTIR device 202 itself, may be located in virtual server(s) running in a cloud-based computing environment rather than being tied to one or more specific physical network computing devices. Also, the application(s) may be running in one or more virtual machines (VMs) executing on the AMTIR device 202. Additionally, in one or more embodiments of this technology, virtual machine(s) running on the AMTIR device 202 may be managed or supervised by a hypervisor.

In the network environment 200 of FIG. 2, the AMTIR device 202 is coupled to a plurality of server devices 204(1)-204(n) that hosts a plurality of databases 206(1)-206(n), and also to a plurality of client devices 208(1)-208(n) via communication network(s) 210. A communication interface of the AMTIR device 202, such as the network interface 114 of the computer system 102 of FIG. 1, operatively couples and communicates between the AMTIR device 202, the server devices 204(1)-204(n), and/or the client devices 208(1)-208(n), which are all coupled together by the communication network(s) 210, although other types and/or numbers of communication networks or systems with other types and/or numbers of connections and/or configurations to other devices and/or elements may also be used.

The communication network(s) 210 may be the same or similar to the network 122 as described with respect to FIG. 1, although the AMTIR device 202, the server devices 204(1)-204(n), and/or the client devices 208(1)-208(n) may be coupled together via other topologies. Additionally, the network environment 200 may include other network devices such as one or more routers and/or switches, for example, which are well known in the art and thus will not be described herein. This technology provides a number of advantages including methods, non-transitory computer readable media, and AMTIR devices that efficiently implement a method for automated masking of targeted categories of information in resume documents in order to reduce potential implicit biases.

By way of example only, the communication network(s) 210 may include local area network(s) (LAN(s)) or wide area network(s) (WAN(s)), and can use TCP/IP over Ethernet and industry-standard protocols, although other types and/or numbers of protocols and/or communication networks may be used. The communication network(s) 210 in this example may employ any suitable interface mechanisms and network communication technologies including, for example, teletraffic in any suitable form (e.g., voice, modem, and the like), Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTNs), Ethernet-based Packet Data Networks (PDNs), combinations thereof, and the like.

The AMTIR device 202 may be a standalone device or integrated with one or more other devices or apparatuses, such as one or more of the server devices 204(1)-204(n), for example. In one particular example, the AMTIR device 202 may include or be hosted by one of the server devices 204(1)-204(n), and other arrangements are also possible. Moreover, one or more of the devices of the AMTIR device 202 may be in a same or a different communication network including one or more public, private, or cloud networks, for example.

The plurality of server devices 204(1)-204(n) may be the same or similar to the computer system 102 or the computer device 120 as described with respect to FIG. 1, including any features or combination of features described with respect thereto. For example, any of the server devices 204(1)-204(n) may include, among other features, one or more processors, a memory, and a communication interface, which are coupled together by a bus or other communication link, although other numbers and/or types of network devices may be used. The server devices 204(1)-204(n) in this example may process requests received from the AMTIR device 202 via the communication network(s) 210 according to the HTTP-based and/or JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) protocol, for example, although other protocols may also be used.

The server devices 204(1)-204(n) may be hardware or software or may represent a system with multiple servers in a pool, which may include internal or external networks. The server devices 204(1)-204(n) hosts the databases 206(1)-206(n) that are configured to store information that relates to candidate-specific qualifications and resumes and information that relates to targeted categories for masking.

Although the server devices 204(1)-204(n) are illustrated as single devices, one or more actions of each of the server devices 204(1)-204(n) may be distributed across one or more distinct network computing devices that together comprise one or more of the server devices 204(1)-204(n). Moreover, the server devices 204(1)-204(n) are not limited to a particular configuration. Thus, the server devices 204(1)-204(n) may contain a plurality of network computing devices that operate using a master/slave approach, whereby one of the network computing devices of the server devices 204(1)-204(n) operates to manage and/or otherwise coordinate operations of the other network computing devices.

The server devices 204(1)-204(n) may operate as a plurality of network computing devices within a cluster architecture, a peer-to peer architecture, virtual machines, or within a cloud architecture, for example. Thus, the technology disclosed herein is not to be construed as being limited to a single environment and other configurations and architectures are also envisaged.

The plurality of client devices 208(1)-208(n) may also be the same or similar to the computer system 102 or the computer device 120 as described with respect to FIG. 1, including any features or combination of features described with respect thereto. For example, the client devices 208(1)-208(n) in this example may include any type of computing device that can interact with the AMTIR device 202 via communication network(s) 210. Accordingly, the client devices 208(1)-208(n) may be mobile computing devices, desktop computing devices, laptop computing devices, tablet computing devices, virtual machines (including cloud-based computers), or the like, that host chat, e-mail, or voice-to-text applications, for example. In an exemplary embodiment, at least one client device 208 is a wireless mobile communication device, i.e., a smart phone.

The client devices 208(1)-208(n) may run interface applications, such as standard web browsers or standalone client applications, which may provide an interface to communicate with the AMTIR device 202 via the communication network(s) 210 in order to communicate user requests and information. The client devices 208(1)-208(n) may further include, among other features, a display device, such as a display screen or touchscreen, and/or an input device, such as a keyboard, for example.

Although the exemplary network environment 200 with the AMTIR device 202, the server devices 204(1)-204(n), the client devices 208(1)-208(n), and the communication network(s) 210 are described and illustrated herein, other types and/or numbers of systems, devices, components, and/or elements in other topologies may be used. It is to be understood that the systems of the examples described herein are for exemplary purposes, as many variations of the specific hardware and software used to implement the examples are possible, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the relevant art(s).

One or more of the devices depicted in the network environment 200, such as the AMTIR device 202, the server devices 204(1)-204(n), or the client devices 208(1)-208(n), for example, may be configured to operate as virtual instances on the same physical machine. In other words, one or more of the AMTIR device 202, the server devices 204(1)-204(n), or the client devices 208(1)-208(n) may operate on the same physical device rather than as separate devices communicating through communication network(s) 210. Additionally, there may be more or fewer AMTIR devices 202, server devices 204(1)-204(n), or client devices 208(1)-208(n) than illustrated in FIG. 2.

In addition, two or more computing systems or devices may be substituted for any one of the systems or devices in any example. Accordingly, principles and advantages of distributed processing, such as redundancy and replication also may be implemented, as desired, to increase the robustness and performance of the devices and systems of the examples. The examples may also be implemented on computer system(s) that extend across any suitable network using any suitable interface mechanisms and traffic technologies, including by way of example only teletraffic in any suitable form (e.g., voice and modem), wireless traffic networks, cellular traffic networks, Packet Data Networks (PDNs), the Internet, intranets, and combinations thereof.

The AMTIR device 202 is described and illustrated in FIG. 3 as including an automated masking of targeted information module 302, although it may include other rules, policies, modules, databases, or applications, for example. As will be described below, the automated masking of targeted information module 302 is configured to implement a method for automated masking of targeted categories of information in resume documents in order to reduce potential implicit biases.

An exemplary process 300 for implementing a mechanism for automated masking of targeted categories of information in resume documents in order to reduce potential implicit biases by utilizing the network environment of FIG. 2 is illustrated as being executed in FIG. 3. Specifically, a first client device 208(1) and a second client device 208(2) are illustrated as being in communication with AMTIR device 202. In this regard, the first client device 208(1) and the second client device 208(2) may be “clients” of the AMTIR device 202 and are described herein as such. Nevertheless, it is to be known and understood that the first client device 208(1) and/or the second client device 208(2) need not necessarily be “clients” of the AMTIR device 202, or any entity described in association therewith herein. Any additional or alternative relationship may exist between either or both of the first client device 208(1) and the second client device 208(2) and the AMTIR device 202, or no relationship may exist.

Further, AMTIR device 202 is illustrated as being able to access a candidate-specific qualifications and resumes data repository 206(1) and a targeted categories for masking database 206(2). The automated masking of targeted information module 302 may be configured to access these databases for implementing a method for automated masking of targeted categories of information in resume documents in order to reduce potential implicit biases.

The first client device 208(1) may be, for example, a smart phone. Of course, the first client device 208(1) may be any additional device described herein. The second client device 208(2) may be, for example, a personal computer (PC). Of course, the second client device 208(2) may also be any additional device described herein.

The process may be executed via the communication network(s) 210, which may comprise plural networks as described above. For example, in an exemplary embodiment, either or both of the first client device 208(1) and the second client device 208(2) may communicate with the AMTIR device 202 via broadband or cellular communication. Of course, these embodiments are merely exemplary and are not limiting or exhaustive.

Upon being started, the automated masking of targeted information module 302 executes a process for automated masking of targeted categories of information in resume documents in order to reduce potential implicit biases. An exemplary process for automated masking of targeted categories of information in resume documents in order to reduce potential implicit biases is generally indicated at flowchart 400 in FIG. 4.

In process 400 of FIG. 4, at step S402, the automated masking of targeted information module 302 receives a resume document. In an exemplary embodiment, the resume document is received in the form of an electronic file that is printable on paper, such as, for example, a Portable Document Format (PDF) file.

At step S404, the automated masking of targeted information module 302 retrieves categories that indicates types of information to be masked or redacted from the resume document. The retrieval is made from a memory, such as, for example, targeted categories for masking database 206(2). Then, at step S406, the automated masking of targeted information module 302 receives user input regarding additional categories of information to be masked. In an exemplary embodiment, the categories may include any one or more of a name of a university, an email address, a residential address, a name of a person, an age, and an educational background.

At step S408, the automated masking of targeted information module 302 extracts information that corresponds to the categories indicated in steps S404 and S406 from the resume document. In an exemplary embodiment, the extraction of information may be performed by first extracting all of the text strings from the resume document, and then comparing the extracted text strings to lists, such as, for example, a list of place names and/or a list of universities. In addition, a Regular Expression string search may be used with respect to a list of email address suffixes and residential address style types vis-à-vis the extracted text strings.

In an exemplary embodiment, the extraction of the information to be masked is performed by applying an artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm that implements a machine learning technique in order to determine which portions of the resume document are to be extracted. The AI algorithm may be configured to output respective sets of bounding box coordinates that indicate corresponding physical positions of the portions to be extracted. When sets of bounding box coordinates are adjacent to one another, the adjacent portions of the resume may be merged together.

At step S410, the automated masking of targeted information module 302 masks the information extracted in step S408. In an exemplary embodiment, the masking is effected by generating a black box that covers the extracted information such that the extracted information is not readable by a person. Then, at step S412, the automated masking of targeted information module 302 outputs a modified version of the resume document that includes a result of the masking operation performed in step S410.

In an exemplary embodiment, AI and other automated techniques are utilized to apply targeted masking of certain categories of information to resumes and curriculum vitae (CVs) in order to reduce potential implicit bias of recruiting staff. The methodology is implemented by a web application that takes resume documents as input and returns modified documents with selected strings of text masked. The categories of information to be masked are those which a person looking at the document may consciously or subconsciously use to unfairly bias their opinion for or against a particular candidate. In an exemplary embodiment, the categories to be masked may include any one or more of the following: university, email address, physical address, personal names (i.e., to reduce potential gender or ethnicity/background biases), ages or references to years that could be used to estimate age (e.g., graduation dates), and/or educational grades/honors, to the extent that it may be desirable to recruit candidates from a range of diverse educational backgrounds. However, any other suitable category or type of information may also be indicated for masking.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram 500 that illustrates a flow of data in a system for automated masking of targeted categories of information in resume documents in order to reduce potential implicit biases, according to an exemplary embodiment; and FIG. 6 is a screenshot 600 of a graphical user interface that facilitates an execution of a method for automated masking of targeted categories of information in resume documents in order to reduce potential implicit biases, according to an exemplary embodiment. As illustrated in FIG. 6, a user accesses a “Black Box” tool via an internal web application. The user has the option to upload one or more PDF documents and choose which types of information they would like to be masked. As illustrated in FIG. 5, the output is returned to the user as PDFs with the information masked. In an exemplary embodiment, the returned PDFs consist of images so that any information about the text that has been masked is destroyed and is unrecoverable in the output.

In an exemplary embodiment, the option to select which categories to mask may be given to allow maximum flexibility for hiring managers and recruiters. Different roles may desire different categories masked, and at different stages in the hiring process, more or less information may be desired to be masked.

Once the PDFs have been uploaded to the server, a text extraction procedure is performed on the PDFs. This extracts all text strings from the document along with position, style and hierarchy information.

In an exemplary embodiment, universities and community colleges are found by comparing the text strings to a comprehensive pre-generated list. The list may be generated by scraping online university directories. Where possible, for each university, the university's constituent schools and colleges may also be scraped, thus creating a two-tier data hierarchy.

In an exemplary embodiment, when scanning resume text, if a university match is found, a black box is assigned for the university text string. The document is then scanned for any matches of that particular university's schools and colleges and if any matches are made, additional black boxes are created.

The reasoning for this two-tier approach is as follows: take for example the University of Pennsylvania, to which the well-known Wharton business school belongs. If a candidate's resume states that the candidate has attended Wharton at the University of Pennsylvania, then masking just the university name would not be enough, as the university could be deduced from the school.

Candidates can be linked to their university if they use an academic institution email address. In an exemplary embodiment, email addresses are found using Regular Expression string searches. The user is given the option to filter all email addresses or just those with a “.edu” suffix.

In an exemplary embodiment, physical addresses are found and masked by using Regular Expression string searches designed for United States (US) style addresses. Additionally, major place names are found and masked by comparing to a comprehensive list of US cities scraped from the internet.

FIG. 7 is an illustration 700 of a process of using black boxes to mask data as part of a method for automated masking of targeted categories of information in resume documents in order to reduce potential implicit biases, according to an exemplary embodiment. In an exemplary embodiment, groups of words to mask are aggregated from the previous stages. In the initial text extraction stage, bounding box coordinates (X0, Y0, X1, Y1) of each word are associated with each word, and this data is carried forward to this stage. With this information, and as illustrated in FIG. 7, an overall bounding box for each group of words is created.

The black boxes of consecutive words in a group are joined together to reduce any context the user may try to gain from the size of the black boxes. For each group of words, a check is performed to detect if the words span multiple lines. If this is the case, multiple black boxes may be created, one for each line. After placing the boxes, the pages are converted into images so that any information that is masked by the boxes is destroyed from the final output document.

There may be some situations where either text strings are not masked that should be masked or text strings are masked that should not be masked. In an exemplary embodiment, AI models may be used in place of or in conjunction with data lists and/or regex methods. Such AI models may use pre-trained language models to predict whether words belong to a given category, rather than comparing to the scraped data. Using AI models may reduce the need for data lists to be generated and kept up to date. AI models may also be used to segment the resume document into semantic sections (e.g., “education,” “work experience,” “skills”) that may allow a more fine-grained search for specific topics. For example, place names may be masked only in sections relevant to education.

Accordingly, with this technology, an optimized process for automated masking of targeted categories of information in resume documents in order to reduce potential implicit biases is provided.

Although the invention has been described with reference to several exemplary embodiments, it is understood that the words that have been used are words of description and illustration, rather than words of limitation. Changes may be made within the purview of the appended claims, as presently stated and as amended, without departing from the scope and spirit of the present disclosure in its aspects. Although the invention has been described with reference to particular means, materials and embodiments, the invention is not intended to be limited to the particulars disclosed; rather the invention extends to all functionally equivalent structures, methods, and uses such as are within the scope of the appended claims.

For example, while the computer-readable medium may be described as a single medium, the term “computer-readable medium” includes a single medium or multiple media, such as a centralized or distributed database, and/or associated caches and servers that store one or more sets of instructions. The term “computer-readable medium” shall also include any medium that is capable of storing, encoding or carrying a set of instructions for execution by a processor or that cause a computer system to perform any one or more of the embodiments disclosed herein.

The computer-readable medium may comprise a non-transitory computer-readable medium or media and/or comprise a transitory computer-readable medium or media. In a particular non-limiting, exemplary embodiment, the computer-readable medium can include a solid-state memory such as a memory card or other package that houses one or more non-volatile read-only memories. Further, the computer-readable medium can be a random-access memory or other volatile re-writable memory. Additionally, the computer-readable medium can include a magneto-optical or optical medium, such as a disk or tapes or other storage device to capture carrier wave signals such as a signal communicated over a transmission medium. Accordingly, the disclosure is considered to include any computer-readable medium or other equivalents and successor media, in which data or instructions may be stored.

Although the present application describes specific embodiments which may be implemented as computer programs or code segments in computer-readable media, it is to be understood that dedicated hardware implementations, such as application specific integrated circuits, programmable logic arrays and other hardware devices, can be constructed to implement one or more of the embodiments described herein. Applications that may include the various embodiments set forth herein may broadly include a variety of electronic and computer systems. Accordingly, the present application may encompass software, firmware, and hardware implementations, or combinations thereof. Nothing in the present application should be interpreted as being implemented or implementable solely with software and not hardware.

Although the present specification describes components and functions that may be implemented in particular embodiments with reference to particular standards and protocols, the disclosure is not limited to such standards and protocols. Such standards are periodically superseded by faster or more efficient equivalents having essentially the same functions. Accordingly, replacement standards and protocols having the same or similar functions are considered equivalents thereof.

The illustrations of the embodiments described herein are intended to provide a general understanding of the various embodiments. The illustrations are not intended to serve as a complete description of all the elements and features of apparatus and systems that utilize the structures or methods described herein. Many other embodiments may be apparent to those of skill in the art upon reviewing the disclosure. Other embodiments may be utilized and derived from the disclosure, such that structural and logical substitutions and changes may be made without departing from the scope of the disclosure. Additionally, the illustrations are merely representational and may not be drawn to scale. Certain proportions within the illustrations may be exaggerated, while other proportions may be minimized. Accordingly, the disclosure and the figures are to be regarded as illustrative rather than restrictive.

One or more embodiments of the disclosure may be referred to herein, individually and/or collectively, by the term “invention” merely for convenience and without intending to voluntarily limit the scope of this application to any particular invention or inventive concept. Moreover, although specific embodiments have been illustrated and described herein, it should be appreciated that any subsequent arrangement designed to achieve the same or similar purpose may be substituted for the specific embodiments shown. This disclosure is intended to cover any and all subsequent adaptations or variations of various embodiments. Combinations of the above embodiments, and other embodiments not specifically described herein, will be apparent to those of skill in the art upon reviewing the description.

The Abstract of the Disclosure is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims. In addition, in the foregoing Detailed Description, various features may be grouped together or described in a single embodiment for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure. This disclosure is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the claimed embodiments require more features than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventive subject matter may be directed to less than all of the features of any of the disclosed embodiments. Thus, the following claims are incorporated into the Detailed Description, with each claim standing on its own as defining separately claimed subject matter.

The above disclosed subject matter is to be considered illustrative, and not restrictive, and the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications, enhancements, and other embodiments which fall within the true spirit and scope of the present disclosure. Thus, to the maximum extent allowed by law, the scope of the present disclosure is to be determined by the broadest permissible interpretation of the following claims, and their equivalents, and shall not be restricted or limited by the foregoing detailed description.