Practical Ways to Reduce Bias in Your Hiring Process
1. Establish Objectives for Inclusivity: It’s important for organizations to define objectives for inclusivity. These objectives function as a mechanism to keep the issue at the forefront within organizations. However, it is crucial to keep in check the manner in which the idea is introduced to colleagues. Diversity goals, while meaningful, can occasionally be contentious within companies due to the potential to inadvertently marginalize individuals within those categories or trigger resistance from traditionally privileged groups. Utilizing data can aid in garnering support. An increasing body of research indicates that a diverse workforce yields noteworthy business benefits. As part of the post-hiring process, leaders to monitor the alignment with the set diversity goals. This practice not only promotes accountability but also serves as a catalyst for individuals engaged in the hiring process and across different areas of the company to sustain a prominent focus on diversity and equality.
2. Administer Practical Skill Assessments: Utilizing practical skill assessments that replicate the types of tasks inherent to the job role stands out as the most reliable “predictors of prospective job performance,” as highlighted by Bohnet. Appraising work sample tests across diverse candidates also aids in “aligning and refining your assessments to gauge the relative performance of Candidate A against Candidate B.” Gino concurs with this sentiment. Enlisting candidates to resolve work-related challenges or participate in tasks that assess their skills yields valuable insights.
3. Striving for Comprehension: When addressing biases in the hiring process, it’s imperative for managers to adopt a comprehensive perspective by “considering various methods to streamline and standardize the process,” according to Bohnet’s insights. To initiate this process, it becomes essential to gain a profound understanding of what biases in hiring entail and how they function. Gino suggests that managers delve into offering educational resources and training to employees on this subject. The initial step in untangling unconscious bias is to cultivate awareness, as it enables individuals to acknowledge the universal existence of biases and identify their own biases. The overarching objective is to foster an “organizational dialogue” about biases, igniting discussions on strategies that the entire organization can embrace to mitigate their impact. And if there is a discussion about such topics as online casinos, then they definitely agree that the best place to play is definitely the Slotogate website since there is a large number online casino that accepts paypal
4. Consider Personal Affinity (if it holds significance for you): It’s only natural to be drawn to individuals with whom an immediate rapport is established. A study revealed how impressions formed within the initial 10 seconds of an interview could potentially influence the outcome. Another study suggested that employers often select candidates they personally favor on a relational level. However, this inclination towards “organic chemistry or shared interests” introduces another aspect to be vigilant about. Likability, as Bohnet articulates, emerges as a particularly intricate facet of the hiring process. An introspective inquiry is essential: “Does the affinity you feel towards a prospective hire hold weight? And how substantial is its significance for you?” If this factor bears importance, Bohnet suggests evaluating candidates for likability similarly to how you would assess their other skills during the interview. Assigning a likability rating allows you to exert more control over this variable.”
5. Implement Blind Evaluation of Résumés: Subsequently, it is crucial to “establish an equitable foundation” by directing your attention toward the distinct qualifications and capabilities of your candidates, rather than surface-level “demographic attributes,” advises Bohnet. She emphasizes that it’s essential to recognize that candidates like Latisha and Jamal might not receive the same volume of callbacks as counterparts like Emily and Greg. The focus should be on assessing the unique contributions everyone brings to the table. Once again, Gino underscores the usefulness of software tools that facilitate a blind evaluation process. Employing a methodical and unbiased approach to review applications and résumés will enhance the likelihood of including the most pertinent candidates in your pool for interviews. This approach can reveal hidden talents that might have otherwise gone unnoticed. Gino adds that instituting such a systematic process helps to prevent the infiltration of bias, particularly when decisions are predetermined and objective.
6. Refining Job Descriptions: The content of job postings holds significant sway in attracting prospective talent and often serves as the initial impression of a company’s ethos. Gino notes that even subtle choices of words can exert substantial influence on the applicant pool. Research indicates that the utilization of masculine language, encompassing terms such as “competitive” and “determined,” leads women to perceive a lack of fit in the work environment. Conversely, words like “collaborative” and “cooperative” tend to resonate more with women than men. Bohnet suggests that software tools capable of identifying gender-associated language can counteract this phenomenon. One can then opt to either substitute gendered words with more neutral alternatives or strike equilibrium by employing an equivalent number of gendered descriptors and verbs. For instance, one can alternate between the term’s “build” and “create.” The intention here is to experiment and gauge the impact of these alterations on the applicant pool while learning from the outcomes through a proactive approach.
7. Implement Consistent Interview Structures: Extensive research highlights that unstructured interview, characterized by an absence of predefined questions and an expectation that a candidate’s background and skills will naturally emerge during conversation, are frequently “unreliable in forecasting job performance,” as articulated by Gino. Conversely, structured interviews, wherein each candidate is presented with the same set of predetermined questions, “standardize the interview procedure” and “diminish bias” by enabling employers to “concentrate on elements that directly impact performance.” Bohnet recommends employing an interview evaluation sheet that rates candidates’ responses to individual questions on a predetermined scale. She suggests that interviewers ideally remain unaware of specific performance outcomes from CV reviews and work sample assessments. The aim is to transform the interview process into an additional, impartial data point that supplements the overall assessment.
8. Emphasize the Behavioral Requirements of the Role: Prioritize the behavioral requisites of the job position over mere skills and prior experience. Skills and experience have proven to be unreliable indicators of candidate achievement; in fact, skills are the most adaptable to training. The emphasis should shift towards evaluating individuals based on behavioral benchmarks, followed by a methodical behavioral interview strategically crafted to reveal compatibility with the organization’s culture and values.
9. Form a Multidisciplinary Interview Panel: Incorporating a multidisciplinary interview panel is an effective strategy to mitigate biases during the hiring process. Equally valuable is the approach of conducting a collaborative session with the interview team to collectively outline desirable attributes and potential pitfalls, including the identification of possible biases. An optimal approach involves devising a systematic procedure to engage in a comprehensive post-interview discussion, allowing any biases that arise to be critically evaluated by the rest of the interviewers.
10. Look Into How Culture Perpetuates Bias: The organizational culture and its contribution to perpetuating biases—such as collective yet subtle assumptions that men are not the primary caregivers, or that nationality or race reflects leadership style—are often ignored. One way to remove unconscious bias is to set company values at the top and exhibit the culture of inclusivity consciously and consistently.