Interviewing candidates might sound like an easy job, but there are several aspects that we need to be aware of in order to guarantee a fair process for job seekers. One of the problems that tend to arise during the recruitment process is being biased when interviewing candidates. This might happen whether we notice or not, yet it is part of human nature to lean towards people who are similar to us. As a result, we might miss the chance of hiring the best candidate, which is why we need to work towards a bias-free recruiting process.
One of the best ways to make sure we avoid bias when we are interviewing candidates is by using recruiting software instead of selecting candidates ourselves. Nowadays, there are many software alternatives available, all with different features and filters that will make sure we are reaching only the best candidates for our company. This helps improve our recruiting process while helping us feel more confident about the quality of the prospects we will be interviewing. In order to fully take advantage of recruiting software, we should see it as a tool that complements our tasks and not as a substitute.
As interviewers, we need to apply what we have learned in our life, considering personal and professional knowledge during the process of meeting, knowing, and choosing candidates. Therefore, a great way to make sure we leave our biases outside of the interview process is by focusing on both our professional and personal growth. Learning about current recruiting trends, reading about best practices, and asking for advice will help us become more professional interviewers. On the other hand, working to achieve personal improvement and developing strategies to deal with our emotions on a healthy and positive way will also help us during our interviews.
If we are looking to develop an interview process that is fair for each and every one of our candidates, we should look for ways to standardize the process. This leaves no room for questionable decisions, as we would be following a set of guidelines to help us choose the best candidate for a given position. When we ask the same questions to all the participants and have them complete the same tests and evaluations, we get rid of any potential bias, resulting in a fair and objective recruitment process.
Lastly, we need to make sure that, during each interview, we focus on the skill set of the candidates, as this will help us assess whether or not they suit the profile that our company needs. More often than we think, interviews focus on personality traits, background, or education of our prospects, which leaves plenty of room for biased decisions to be made. Instead, try to learn about what candidates are good at, what they can learn, and how they would help our company become better. Leave the funny comments and the personal trivia questions for later.