Surprise! Humans are Bad at Hiring
Diversity in the workplace is a major focal point for human resources professionals. There are classes designated to learning about implementing diversity, researchers who study it and entire publications that write about it. But what if without even realizing it the very hiring professionals that are committed to diversity and equal opportunity were making the same kinds of hires over and over? What if humans just aren’t good at making unbiased hiring decisions?
This may be the case.
There are a number of unconscious biases that permeate a hiring process. Everyone, by essence of being human, has biases. We all hold our own subjective world views and are influenced and shaped by our experiences, beliefs, and values. A recent article in Fast Company, “Scientists Explain All Your Dumb Hiring Decisions” reported that context during a hiring situation can lead to bias. It discusses a study which found that applicants were perceived to be more serious, and better overall, when their resumes were attached to heavy clipboards than other candidates whose resumes were handed to them on flimsy clipboards.
But hiring decisions should be based on objective qualifications and requirements. In order to create more diversity within organizations, we need to pay attention to these unconscious biases that often inadvertently prompt hiring managers to choose candidates who may not necessarily be the best for the position.
So, how are today’s hiring professionals relying less on flawed human judgement and more on talent?
Blind Hiring
Blind hiring removes telltale signs about a person’s observable features from the recruiting process, everything from the person’s name and alma mater to the candidate’s gender, making it nearly impossible to judge the candidate on anything other than their work experience and capabilities. Some companies are even going so far as to use technology that can change a candidate’s voice during a phone interview so that all the candidates’ voices sound similar. A few companies are implementing virtual job simulations, tests and projects for candidates so that a candidate’s talents and abilities really shine through.
The rising interest in blind hiring mirrors the increased awareness of unconscious bias and the need to equalize the hiring process. Something as simple as someone’s name can influence your hiring decisions without you even realizing it. The use of blind hiring can open the door to unexpected hires, as it exposes true talent and results in a more diverse workplace.
Reliable Validation Matters
On the front-end, testing applicants to determine their skill levels – versus focusing exclusively on résumés, educational background or from initial perceptions during interviews – can help reduce implicit biases that can occur throughout candidate screening. But this is still a relatively one-dimensional view of a candidate’s potential. If we are really trying to understand the whole of the candidate, than we need to look at the way they have worked in the past. On the back end, when you base your talent decisions on reliable, detailed job-specific confirmation of candidates’ skills and past performance from as many references as possible, you’re making your decisions supported by data points versus gut feel.
Using technology, you can easily get feedback from many, varied sources, which can provide you with a well-rounded candidate profile. Studies of results of scientific, structured job-specific surveys that are used by references to provide feedback have shown that they are reliable, predictive and do not adversely impact candidates based on their race, gender or religious affiliation. But the real value to reference feedback comes when employers can assess a candidate’s “soft skills” – competencies such as “being a team player” or “adapting to change.” The feedback on soft skills complements the pre-hire skills assessment of the applicant, rounding out the picture of a candidate’s capabilities.
One day, the American workplace will truly reflect the diversity of the population. Until that vision becomes a reality, we can adopt more advanced hiring and referencing practices that impartially measure a person’s skills and potential. If you’d like to check your hiring processes, see this Infographic: Is hidden bias hiding in your hiring process.
Ray Bixler is CEO of SkillSurvey, a reference checking technology firm that harnesses the power of references to help organizations more effectively recruit, hire and retain talent.