8 Ways to Mitigate Interview Bias
Unconscious bias when interviewing is a challenge for many hiring managers that I speak to. Choosing candidates based on personal preferences rather than whether they are the best person for the role can have detrimental consequences as it not only hinders Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) goals but also results in suboptimal hiring decisions. So, how can you identify and mitigate biases in your interviews?
Establish Your Criteria
Focus on what you need a candidate to bring to a role rather than specific background preferences. This ensures that your evaluations are based on merit and the requirements of the job.
Interview Guides
Use the same interview guide, including a standardised set of questions, for every candidate applying for a particular role. Avoiding ad-hoc questioning helps you to maintain fairness and consistency when comparing candidates.
Obscure Names
Remove the names of candidates’ schools and universities from their CVs when sharing them to help avoid overvaluing prestigious schools which can introduce bias. Assessing candidates based on their skills and experiences rather than the reputation of the educational institutions that they attended means you increase your chance of employing the best candidate for the role.
Personal Interests
Avoid discussing your own niche interests during interviews. Candidates with similar interests will get a subconscious boost. Removing physical objects that are linked to your interests will also remove the opportunity for the candidate to bring them into conversation.
Interviewing Teams
Give each member of your interviewing team a specific area of expertise related to the role to focus on during interviews. This allows them to delve deep into relevant aspects rather than attempting to cover everything, reducing the impact of personal biases.
Defer Recommendations
Stop interviewers from giving immediate hire/no-hire recommendations. Ask them to delay judgement until the entire team has had time to consider the candidate, in order to ensure a comprehensive evaluation based on the opinions of the whole interviewing team rather than just on individual biases.
Subjective Commentary
Focus on tangible skills and performance metrics rather than personal opinions like "I like how they answered this question."
Take Notes
Take detailed notes during interviews in order to record all of the relevant information. AI transcribers can assist if needed. Note down skills and responses, keeping the focus on the dialogue rather than allowing personal impressions to influence the assessment.
It's crucial to acknowledge that complete elimination of bias may be impossible. However, by incorporating these tools and tactics, hiring managers can effectively mitigate biases and create a more equitable and inclusive recruitment process.
I have over a decade helping companies find the right candidates to join their team. If you need a new team member give me a call and find out how i can help you too.
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