Hiring is a subjective process in which we make quick judgments about someone else based on limited information. But there are ways to reduce implicit bias when hiring. Read this post to learn the five types of implicit bias that could affect a hiring decision and how to overcome them.
5 Biases That Affect Hiring Decisions
1. Affinity Bias
Affinity bias is the unconscious tendency to get along with others who are like us. For example, candidates who attended the same college or who grew up in the same town.
2. Confirmation Bias
Confirmation bias is the tendency of people to favor information that confirms or strengthens their beliefs or values. Existing beliefs about a certain group being more competent than others are the reasons why particular races and genders are represented the most in companies today.
3. Halo Effect
The halo effect means one outstanding accomplishment creates an impression of success that, to the interviewer, can obscure fewer successful behavioral examples in one or more competencies.
4. Perception Bias
Perception bias is the tendency to form stereotypes and assumptions about certain groups that make it impossible to make an objective judgment about members of those groups.
5. Groupthink
Groupthink in the hiring process translates into overlooking qualified candidates to hire when the leader, or most outspoken person, has chosen the “best” candidate. It erases the opinions of the individuals in the group to conform to the hiring preferences of one person.
How Can You Avoid Bias During Interviews?
Given that implicit or personal bias is part of who we are, it is important that we strive to create a selection process that mitigates it. Targeted Selection®, DDI’s behavioral interviewing system, is designed to do just that. Here are some of Targeted Selection’s system components that limit implicit bias in hiring:
1. The Success Profile
DDI’s Success Profile is designed to define the targets for successful job performance, including the knowledge, experience, competencies, and personal attributes. Having this information about the position allows for a more effective screening process by comparing the information provided by the candidate to what’s required for success.
2. Interview Guides
Having this information about the Success Profile allows for the development of interview guides with planned questions for each competency or personal attribute. The interviewers ask the planned behavioral questions, take notes, and follow up with additional questions, gathering complete behavioral examples. At DDI, we call these complete behavioral examples STARs.
Using interview guides means interviewers don’t have to think of what questions to ask, which results in a more consistent interview process.
3. Meeting Personal Needs
In every interview, it is important for the interviewer to meet the candidate’s personal needs. They accomplish this by building rapport. Rapport with a candidate is built by maintaining or enhancing self-esteem as well as by listening and responding with empathy when a candidate is sharing their examples.
Ultimately, we’ve found that when there is a systematic approach to hiring, with interviewers who have been properly trained, the likely outcome is that all candidates are being treated fairly and equally. It also increases the probability that the best candidate will be chosen for the job.
To learn more about how to avoid implicit bias during the hiring process, read DDI’s blog post.