How To Remove Bias From The Hiring Process

Is your company struggling to create a diverse workforce? Diversity in the workplace is essential if you want your business to be successful. At the same time, diversity can be hard to achieve. The reason for this might be unconscious bias during the hiring process.

Panel of interviewers ranking job candidates by number

Bias will influence your hiring decision whether you want it do or not. Every company must strive to remove bias from the hiring process. Bias comes in all shapes and sizes – race, gender, age, background, etc. When bias comes into play, people are more likely to trust their gut instincts and this can harm your company’s ability to hire the best person for the job.

Why Your Company Needs To Hire A Diverse Workforce

Unfortunately, most people don’t even know they are biased toward certain things. We all have a natural inclination to select one type of person over another, but it is essential that we remain neutral during the hiring process. If we don’t, it can come back to haunt us.

Every HR pro can agree that the hiring process must be fair, yet bias and stereotyping absolutely affects our decision making. Typically biases in hiring are hidden, unconscious, and unintended, but that doesn’t mean they don’t happen. Luckily, hiring bias is something that you can combat.

Let’s take a look at how you can remove bias from the hiring process:

  • Educate your hiring team about bias to boost awareness
  • Conduct bias testing to see if you are naturally inclined to hire certain types of people
  • Watch your wording in job descriptions
  • Recruit job candidates in new places
  • Don’t trust your gut
  • Be consistent throughout the entire hiring process for all applicants
  • Hire in teams
  • Use scripts during job interviews
  • Utilize blind interview processes
  • Don’t screen candidates via social
  • Use ATS systems and computers in the first rounds of hiring
  • Remove names from applications and resumes
  • Mandate skill tests/portfolios/work samples

Don’t let your brain trick you into making the wrong hiring decision. Eliminate stereotypes and remove bias from the hiring process to ensure that you always pick the best person for the job. It’s a tough thing to do, but with a bit of determination you’ll be able to hire in a fair and consistent manner and that’s better for everyone.

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