Resumes can indicate skills, experience, and necessities of the role. However, personal opinion is part of the problem where quick decision making can take place without noticing it by the hiring team. Everybody else has bias, and only some people get seen or attracted, in an interview or otherwise.
How to reduce bias in hiring process teaches organizations to make better and fairer decisions on capitalizing stronger teams.
Start with a Well-Defined Job Description
An unclear job description can lead to uneven decision-making. Prior to posting a role, map out the skills, and tasks that actually matter.
Don’t use age, gender, character, or personal information unless it is relevant to the task. Instead, describe:
- Required technical skills
- Relevant experience
- Main job responsibilities
- Expected work results
- Essential qualifications
A description that is clear gives every candidate the same standard to measure against.
Apply the Same Procedure for All Prospects
A very common element of hiring bias is when candidates are evaluated differently. Sometimes one person gets meticulous questions, another person instead of an interview just simply casual.
Have a structured process that you can apply:
- The same core interview questions
- A consistent scoring system
- Clear rules for reviewing applications
- Identical deadlines for interviews
- Involvement of more than one person in the decision
Such an approach allows for more reliable comparisons. It also lessens the likelihood that a singular strong personal impression will dominate the final decision.
Review Applications Without Unneeded Details
Even before the candidate has an opportunity to put their skills on display, judgment can be influenced by personal information. Eliminate unnecessary details for the first review if possible.
Employers will leave some information out of sight depending on the role, such as:
- Names
- Photos
- Home addresses
- Graduation dates
- Personal interests
Commonly referred to as blind screening, this can allow recruiters to focus on applicant credentials instead of assumptions about which people will be the best fits for the position.
Educate Hiring Teams to Identify Bias
Training is the next step in learning how you can remove bias from hiring process. So, hiring managers should know the different types of bias:
- Similarity bias: Preferential treatment for people who have a similar experience or interest
- Confirmation bias: Seeking only information that confirms an early opinion
- Halo effect: Generalization where a strong trait carries the whole evaluation
- Stereotyping: Assuming a group or individual
Your training should incorporate real-life scenarios with practical points to pause, challenge, and fix biased thoughts.
Get Evidence Based Instead of Going by Your Guts
Instinct can at times be useful, but you can’t replace evidence with it. Ask interviewers to write down examples that justify their ratings.
For example, instead of saying “great fit,” a reviewer would record that the candidate presented a relevant project, solved an example problem, or displayed a necessary ability.
Before touching on personal impressions, an interview panel should deliberate on evidence. In this way, the final decision is impartial.
Keep Improving the Process
Hiring results need to be audited by companies over time. Find patterns on who applies, who gets interviews, and who gets offers.
Most importantly, utilization of employee feedback and candidate surveys can uncover faults that perhaps hiring managers miss. Bottom-line tracking results along with continual progress creates an even playing field for the employer in establishing a consistent and equitable hiring platform.