New evidence has recently emerged of the extent of bias in hiring. A report in the Harvard Business Review found that a single female candidate in a talent pool has no chance of securing a job offer, but her chances rise if she competes against other women. Bias in recruitment comes as no surprise to a jobs market that is grappling with issues over the pay gap. The question is, how can HR overcome or 'interrupt' that bias to improve diversity in hiring and attract the best available talent?
Types of bias
Two common types prevail in hiring. These are:-
Confirmation bias : This is a firm pre-existing belief in our minds which we look for evidence to support. In talent acquisition, it may take the form of a hiring manager preferring candidates who have been educated at a particular college or University, for example. Applicants matching these subconscious preferences are favoured before a meeting takes place. Confirmation bias risks eliminating talented candidates from interview selection.
Hiring on intuition : When interviewers strike up a rapport with candidates, their natural inclination is to hire that person. Gaps in skills, inaccuracies on the applicant’s CV or a potential cultural fit are overlooked because this person ‘feels right’. Decisions based on our intuition, are emotive and subjective, again influenced heavily by the intellect and background of the interviewer.
The aim of successful talent acquisition is always to hire the best candidate available for a vacancy, regardless of gender, race, disability or age. The strategies below will assist HR in achieving that goal:-
The introduction of name blind CVs (anonymised screening)
Name blind CVs have gained in popularity since being incorporated into hiring processes by major employers, including the NHS, Deloitte, KPMG, HSBC and Virgin Money, but progress in areas is slow. New research suggests that almost half a million female and ethnic minority candidates are overlooked for jobs in tech and finance based on their names alone. Changing names is not necessarily a solution; persistent hiring managers and recruiters scrutinise applications for additional evidence of a privileged background, according to lecturer in Human Resources Management, Dr Louise Ashley. Part of this arises from a cultural issue within legal, accountancy and finance sectors and the privileged status afforded to candidates from elite schools. Technology removes bias in screening but cultural issues stem from leadership and must be addressed at that level.
Level out candidate assessment
In the early stages of screening, the use of video interviews can offset discrimination by asking identical questions of each candidate. Conducting panel interviews and bringing in stakeholders may also level out the applicant 'playing field' but a residual element of cultural bias will again remain. Algorithms have been proven to make more effective hiring decisions than people so HR analytics must play a role in final candidate selection. HR may still of course choose to ignore data driven recommendations.
Provide reasons for candidate rejection
Providing feedback both internally and to candidates to clarify the reason for their unsuccessful job application requires accountability and ensures that decisions are not based on personal or cultural bias. Identifying the common patterns for rejection revealed through HR analytics sheds light on where your recruitment philosophy falls short of its aspirations. As an added bonus it also ensures compliance in hiring. Part of this must include reference checks to verify a candidate’s claims, as well as candidate surveys and feedback at the end of the hiring process for unsuccessful applicants.
Adopt a ‘bias interruption’ philosophy
Research carried out several years ago by the National Bureau of Economic Research found that by introducing a ’salary negotiable’ headline into job adverts, the pay gap was narrowed between men and women. ‘Interrupting’ hiring patterns that give rise to bias requires analysis and continual review. Recruitment analytics will instantly provide insight into the diversity in your organisation and where bias may exist. The leadership of an organisation also points towards overarching issues. For example, female CEOs of private UK companies halved from 2015 to 2016. The aforement report from the Harvard Business Review demonstrates that this is more than a national issue.
Introduce ‘unbiasing’ with technology
Google’s re:Work platform focuses on efforts to improve diversity in the workplace, through ‘unbiasing’, what it describes as the process of ‘acknowledging and minimising the impact that unconscious bias has on our attitudes and decisions’. Measurement is the key to assessing and tracking efforts to achieve this.
While it’s impossible to rewire innate thought patterns overnight, data driven recruitment is the only way to overcome subjectivity and unconscious bias in hiring. Putting checks in place throughout the hiring process, carrying out regular reviews and acting on the conclusions drawn from evidence based HR will help to enhance talent acquisition strategies and introduce a more diverse global workforce where people are hired on merit.
Are you ready to interrupt unconscious bias in your hiring process? Take your first step with HR software that helps you to create a data driven recruitment strategy. Contact Advorto today.
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