7 Simple Ways To Reduce Bias in the Hiring Process

Introduction

Bias in the hiring process refers to forming an opinion about the candidate based on first impressions and initial information about them. This bias is mostly unconscious, but making hiring decisions based on it leads to prejudices. These prejudices can lead to hiring the wrong candidates and wasting the company’s resources on training them for the job. To avoid these from happening, companies are actively trying to reduce the unconscious biases involved in their hiring processes and hire top talents. 

Ways To Reduce Hiring Bias

By only making some simple changes to the recruitment process, hiring bias can be reduced to a great extent. Here are seven simple ways that can be used to reduce bias involved in hiring and recruitment.

1. Identify the existing biases in your current recruiting processes

Recognizing that hiring bias exists and finding out its causes are the first steps in eliminating bias. Document your existing hiring process and examine each step to spot any biases and prejudices that might be present. Racial, sexist, ageist, and other biases are generally found to be present in hiring processes. Once the problem is identified, it becomes easier to look for a good solution.

A committee composed of HR representatives, staff members, and independent experts may be useful in reviewing the hiring process. Corrective measures can be taken to eliminate bias after its root causes have been found.

2. Tweaking the job descriptions

Job descriptions play a key role in attracting prospective employees to the organization. The use of discriminatory language in the job description will deter talented candidates from applying. Make sure that gender, age, and other such variables are not included in job descriptions.

The job descriptions should reflect the fact that the workplace is inclusive and that candidates of all backgrounds are welcomed in the organization. It is necessary to review your current job descriptions and make changes to make them more welcoming, inclusive, and open.

3. Conduct structured interviews

The idea is to use the same interviewing process to evaluate each application for a position. Bias is dramatically decreased when companies standardize interviews. While drafting the job description for a position, create a unique interviewing procedure for it. Make sure that each applicant goes through the same procedure and is asked similar questions from a bigger pool of interview questions meant for the job position. The candidate’s skill sets, capacities, and knowledge should be the key topics of the interviews. This will enable the recruiter to base their judgment on important information rather than first impressions. This will significantly reduce bias.

4. Conduct skill tests

Although a CV is a useful tool for hiring, the absence of anonymity makes it susceptible to bias. Name, age, location, and gender mentioned in the CV can influence the judgments of the hiring managers.

Creating an anonymous sample test or skill test will help in tackling this problem. When candidates are judged on the basis of the results of these tests, their talent gets highlighted instead of their personal information. The tests can also be anonymous to avoid any kind of bias. They are designed on the basis of the job performance expected from the candidate after joining the organization.

5. Focus on diversity and inclusion

Every organization should focus on building a diverse workforce. So, it is important to set clear diversity goals for the organization. Also, the goals should be publicly disclosed to point out the fact that the company is working to create an inclusive culture. The company’s top management should identify the underrepresented racial, ethnic, and gender groups to bring about changes. The company should make every employee feel welcome and comfortable. 

Progress should be closely monitored, and regular updates on the finding should be issued. The hiring process, the job descriptions, and the skill tests should highlight this initiative taken by the company. It will help in attracting diverse candidates to the organization. Focusing on diversity helps in creating a positive working environment and boosts employee morale. Employees feel like they are accepted and cherished by their organization.

6. Automate the screening process

Artificial intelligence significantly reduces bias when it’s utilized to screen applications. Different software programs and tools are available to help in the selection of resumes with the relevant keywords, experiences, skills, academic qualifications, etc. Additionally, the duration of the screening procedure will be reduced.

7. Outsource your technical interviews

Choose platforms like HireHunch to outsource interviews for technical recruitment, which helps to reduce hiring bias. HireHunch offers trustworthy technical interviewing services with knowledgeable interviewers who conduct a preliminary round of interviews to evaluate the candidates’ skills and shortlist them for final interviews. HireHunch helps companies evaluate candidates’ skills and knowledge without any bias.

Conclusion

Companies can take various initiatives to deal with hiring bias. The best talents must be hired if organizations are to succeed in the fiercely competitive work environment of today. Companies can appoint the most qualified candidates to their workforce if they can avoid hiring bias. To eliminate bias in hiring decisions, organizations must promote workplace diversity integration and conduct ongoing training on the bias. Companies can also opt to outsource their technical interviews to interviewing platforms like HireHunch to assess their candidates without any bias.

FAQs

1. How can the bias in the hiring process be reduced?

Bias in the hiring process can be reduced by identifying the existing problems in the process and taking corrective action for each of them. The first step in removing bias from a process is to acknowledge that it undoubtedly exists. The corrective actions may include steps like standardizing the interview process, conducting anonymous skill tests, setting diversity goals, etc.

2. What are the 3 ways to reduce bias?

Bias can be reduced through a variety of ways, as mentioned above. Some of the most effective ways are-

• Structured interviews – Unstructured interviews facilitate bias and prejudice as the questions tend to be based on initial impressions. Creating standard formats of interviews leads to a shift of focus from personal information to skills and abilities.

• Setting goals about diversity – Every company should work towards creating a diverse workforce. Employees feel accepted, secure and satisfied when they experience inclusiveness and diversity. Companies should set clear goals about diversity and track their progress and achievements.

• Job descriptions – Job descriptions should not include restrictive conditions related to gender, age, cultural background, etc. They should only focus on the required skills, experience, and qualifications. 

3. What is the best way to reduce bias?

The best way to reduce bias is to create a hiring process that is standardized, anonymous, and skill-based. The entire process should solely focus on the skills, capabilities, and experience of the candidate instead of focusing on irrelevant personal information like gender, age, cultural background, etc.