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Avoid Hiring Bias with These 8 Tips

Hiring bias can hold your company back in a number of ways. You will be limiting your candidate pool without even realizing it, and it can hurt your brand, believe it or not. Here are several tips to help you avoid hiring bias in your organization.   

What is Hiring Bias?   

Discrimination or hiring bias occurs when an applicant is viewed differently based on things they cannot control. These things include race, gender, age, religion, weight, disability, and national origin. However, they can also extend to personal traits as well. Interviewers tend to look for candidates who are like them. If a candidate reminds them of themselves during the interview, they are more likely to be favored.   

All in all, hiring bias creates an environment where the main focus is not the candidate’s skills but rather things that are out of their control. So, how do you go about eliminating hiring bias in your organization?  

  

Start With Your Job Description   

First, you should examine your job description with a critical eye. Instead of describing the type of person you are looking for, describe the job and daily tasks. Take the time to explain your company culture and what skills would be a perfect fit for the position. This will make it more likely that you will receive qualified applicants in the field rather than applicants focused on the personality traits you are searching for.   

  

Create Pre-Employment Assessments  

Pre-employment assessments are another great way to avoid hiring bias. These assessments give you a way to examine the potential employee’s skills without considering any outside factors.   

  

Create a Script for Interviews  

Using a script for interviews is a good way to be sure each candidate is asked the same questions without bias. Then, once each round of interviews is completed, you can compare each applicant’s answers side-by-side and make an educated decision.   

 

Avoid Personal Topics in Interviews   

During the interview process, avoid personal questions. Stick to inquiries that help you examine their experience and skillset rather than why they are looking for a new job.   

  

Use a Panel for Interviewing Candidates   

Put together a diverse panel of interviewers that represent your company. When you have more than one person interviewing an applicant, it is less likely personal bias will be involved in the decision. Instead, they will be focused on skills and how they will fit into the company as a whole.   

  

Implement a “Blind” Resume Policy   

When you review the stack of resumes that have been sent to you, use a blind resume policy. This takes away information like the applicant’s name, race, gender, and other information that may lead to hiring bias.   

  

Try to Interview More Minority Candidates   

This is often referred to as the “Rooney” policy. Make it a point to interview at least one minority candidate for each position you are looking to fill. For instance, in the tech industry, you may search for more female candidates to interview because they are a minority in that sector.   

  

Work With an Outside Agency 

Last but not least, working with a staffing agency can help avoid hiring bias as well. When you employ the assistance of a recruiter, you can bypass many of the decision-making steps. They will send you qualified leads based on your needs without comparing them to others in the company or, as many hiring managers are guilty of, comparing them to themselves. Instead, they focus on the best applicant for the job.   

See how GoSource can help your organization find the perfect person for the job without any bias.   

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