TORONTO - A new project announced today will test whether hiding the names of job applicants would improve hiring practices in the federal government.

The Public Service Commission of Canada project, unveiled at Toronto's Ryerson University, will compare the results of traditional screening methods with name-blind recruitment.

The experiment will involve six federal departments, including National Defence, Global Affairs and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship.

A report on the findings is expected in October.

The government says the project is meant to strengthen diversity and inclusion in the public service, but says there is no indication that current recruitment practices are biased.

It says name-blind recruitment has already been adopted in several European organizations, such as the British civil service.