From affinity bias (the tendency to hire people like ourselves) to overconfidence bias (the belief that our abilities are better than they actually are), hiring managers always run the risk of falling under the sway of all sorts of biases that can distort their judgment and lead to less-than-optimal hiring decisions. These following strategies will help you make fairer assessments and reduce bias in your hiring process.
Standardize Interviews to Reduce Bias in Your Hiring Process
Standardization of the interview process is a good first step toward reducing hiring biases. This concept means ensuring that you evaluate all candidates along the same parameters. In order to achieve this, you should avoid unstructured interviews. Instead, interview all candidates using a questionnaire that zeroes in on the criteria you consider as ideal for the position. Naturally, you should also allow space for follow-up questions when necessary.
Strive to Have an Independent Opinion
Sometimes the opinion of a single person can influence the views of an entire team. This phenomenon is so common that Microsoft had to devise a solution, and now hiring managers can see their colleagues’ opinions on potential hires only after they input their own evaluation in the internal system. In this case, the problem was solved using software, but you can establish rules that follow the same principle. For example, if more than two people are involved in a hiring decision, they may be required to put their own views in writing before discussing them with the team.
Consider Asking for a Work Sample Test
Asking candidates to complete a work sample allows you to evaluate prospective employees in a way that takes into account only the skills that are relevant to the position they’re applying for. Above all, ensure that the sample or skill test simulates realistically the conditions under which they would work. This strategy makes it easier for you to tune out factors that can unfairly influence hiring decisions, such as appearance, gender, or personality.
Learn More About the Hiring Process
These are some posts you may find interesting to learn more about current trends in the background screening industry.
- Make sure to avoid these common hiring mistakes
- 3 Resume red flags all hiring managers should keep in mind
- 4 Benefits of Background Screening
- The basic do’s and don’ts of background screening
- Key insights from PBSA’s 2020 Background Screening Survey
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