Recruiters: sending an anonymous CV to a client without losing the candidate
What recruiters should remove from a CV before sending it to a client, what to keep, and what France, Germany and the UK say about it.
A blind CV hides a candidate's name, photo and contact details so a client judges skills first. Recruitment agencies use it to cut hiring bias and to stop a client contacting the candidate directly. This guide lists what to remove, what to keep, and what France, Germany and the UK say about the practice, as of September 2026.
This is general information, not legal advice. Rules differ by country and by sector, so check your own jurisdiction before you change a template agency-wide.
Why do agencies send blind CVs to clients?
Agencies mask CVs for two separate reasons. The first is fairness: a name, an address or a photo can trigger bias before a client reads a single skill. The second is business. If a client sees full contact details, some go around the agency and approach the candidate directly, skipping the placement fee.
Take Jane Example, a project manager with ten years in logistics. Her agency sends clients a CV that says Candidate JE204, not her name or her current employer. The client reviews her experience on its own merit, and the agency keeps control of the introduction.
What should you remove from a CV, and what should you keep?
Strip anything that names the person or lets a client find them outside the agency. Keep anything that lets the client judge the work: job titles, dates, skills, certifications and achievements phrased without identifying detail.
| Remove | Keep |
|---|---|
| Full name and initials | Job title and seniority level |
| Photo | Years of experience per role |
| Date of birth and age | Skills, tools and certifications |
| Home address and postcode | Sector and rough company size, for example a mid-size logistics firm |
| Personal email, phone number, LinkedIn URL | Achievements written without names or figures that identify the employer |
| Current employer's name, if it would reveal a competitor to the client | Education level and field of study |
What does the law say in France, Germany and the UK?
France: the CV anonyme that almost became mandatory
France came closest to making blind CVs compulsory. A 2006 law added the anonymous CV to the Code du travail for firms above fifty employees, but the government never signed the implementing decree. In 2014 the Conseil d'État ordered the Prime Minister to issue it.
The government still did not act, and a 2015 law removed the obligation instead. Today article L1221-7 of the Code du travail lets an employer examine a candidate's information in conditions preserving anonymity, but nothing requires it.
Germany: the AGG and anonymised applications
Germany has no law that requires a blind application either. The Allgemeines Gleichbehandlungsgesetz, the AGG, bans discrimination in hiring. Grounds include ethnic origin, sex, religion, disability, age and sexual identity, according to the Federal Anti-Discrimination Agency. The AGG bans those grounds, not a specific hiring process, so a blind application stays a voluntary choice, not a legal requirement.
United Kingdom: the Equality Act 2010
UK law protects nine characteristics under the Equality Act 2010, including age, race, sex, religion and disability, according to the UK government's guidance. Acas confirms job applicants are covered from the first advert onward. Nothing in the Act requires anonymous CVs, but hiding traits an employer should not consider lowers the risk of an unlawful recruitment decision, deliberate or not.
Do you need the candidate's consent before you forward a CV?
Yes, in practice. Sharing a CV with a client is a new use of the candidate's data. Tell them which client will see it and in what form, anonymised or not, before you send it. Most agency contracts already cover this, but a generic sign-up form signed a year ago rarely counts as informed consent for a specific client today.
- Confirm with the candidate which details they are comfortable removing, especially a current employer's name.
- Tell the candidate which client will receive the CV, even if the CV itself stays anonymous.
- Keep one internal file that maps the anonymous code back to the real candidate, and restrict who can open it.
- Ask before restoring any masked detail once a client wants to move to interview.
A tool can speed up the masking step. ONYRI Sanitize is a browser-based app that finds and masks names, emails, phone numbers, postal addresses and dates of birth in a PDF or Word CV, without uploading the file. Its limit: it does not detect photos automatically, and detects company names only with a legal form attached. A recruiter can mask the photo by hand with the “Draw an area” tool, and add a former employer under Also mask.
Whatever method you use, the goal stays the same: let the client judge the work, not the person's name. Keep your own record of who is behind each anonymous code, and update it the moment the candidate agrees to move forward.
Frequently asked questions
- Does a blind CV remove all risk of bias?
- No. Masking the name and contact details helps, but writing style, dates or an unusual job title can still hint at who someone is. Treat it as one safeguard among several, not a guarantee.
- Can I anonymise a candidate's current employer?
- Yes, and you often should. If naming the employer would tell the client who the candidate is, or reveal a competitor's staff, describe the sector and size instead, for example a regional retailer rather than the company name.
- What if the client already knows the candidate from LinkedIn?
- It happens. An anonymous CV cannot stop someone from recognising a career path they already know. Warn the client that any match they spot stays confidential until the candidate agrees to be introduced.
- Do I need a written consent record to share a CV with a client?
- A specific written record is safer than a general clause signed at sign-up. Note which client saw the CV, in what form, and when the candidate agreed, so you can show it if asked.
- Is an anonymous CV a legal requirement anywhere in Europe?
- Not currently. France dropped the requirement in 2015, Germany treats it as voluntary under the AGG, and the UK's Equality Act protects candidates without mandating a specific CV format.
Sources & references
- Discrimination: your rights — GOV.UK
- Following discrimination law — Acas
- Article L1221-7 of the Code du travail — Ministère du Travail (Code du travail numérique)
- Le CV anonyme — Conseil d'État
- Diskriminierung im Arbeitsleben — Antidiskriminierungsstelle des Bundes
- Recruitment and selection — Information Commissioner's Office (ICO)
Mask a document without uploading it
ONYRI Sanitize finds names, identifiers, bank details and secrets in a PDF, a Word file or a scan, and masks them in your browser. You check the preview, then download a flattened copy.