How Can Bias Be Reduced in the Hiring Process as an HR Manager?
In the quest to create a fairer and more inclusive workplace, we’ve gathered insights from seven industry professionals, including Chief Technology Officers and Heads of Human Resources. They share methods ranging from implementing bias-awareness training to standardizing interview questions, revealing the outcomes of their efforts to reduce bias in the hiring process.
- Implement Bias-Awareness Training
- Adopt a Hybrid AI Approach
- Practice Blind Hiring Techniques
- Focus on Skill-Based Hiring
- Utilize AI for Initial Screening
- Maintain a Consistent Interview Committee
- Standardize Interview Questions
Implement Bias-Awareness Training
Bias-awareness training is key to being able to reduce the bias your team may have during the recruitment process. There are many great options out there for you and your team to learn more about what biases affect the hiring process and also learn about what unconscious biases you may hold. These trainings are specifically important because they can affect the hiring process and office life. These trainings can foster a more diverse, understanding team overall.
Rubens Basso
Chief Technology Officer, FieldRoutes
Adopt a Hybrid AI Approach
At my recruitment agency, we believe in a hybrid approach to the hiring process. To reduce bias, we combine artificial intelligence (AI) with natural intelligence, aka human judgment. This method lets us leverage AI tools to screen resumes and analyze candidate data, with initial evaluations relying on objective criteria rather than subjective impressions.
We also use a structured interview approach. This involves standardized questions for all candidates. Every candidate is evaluated on the same criteria. While there is no way to remove unconscious bias completely, this way, at least, we are able to minimize it.
After only four months of implementing this hybrid approach, we observed promising results: greater candidate diversity, a better employee onboarding experience, and a higher quality of hires.
Phil McParlane
Founder & CEO, 4DayWeekJobs
Practice Blind Hiring Techniques
One method I’ve implemented to reduce bias in the hiring process is blind-hiring practices. I anonymize candidate information that could reveal their gender, race, age, or other personal details that might lead to prejudice.
I remove names, addresses, educational backgrounds, and other identifiers from resumes and applications before the initial screening. This gives me the ability to level the playing field by ensuring candidates are evaluated solely based on their skills and experience relevant to the job.
This method helps prevent unconscious biases from creeping into our hiring decisions, which often favor certain demographics. As a result, I’ve noticed a more diverse pool of candidates moving forward in the process. This diversity promotes a more inclusive workplace and brings a wider range of perspectives and ideas, which is incredibly beneficial for innovation and problem-solving.
Overall, blind hiring improves fairness within the organization, enhancing our reputation and making us more attractive to a diverse range of job seekers.
Peter Bryla
Senior Community Manager, Resume-Now
Focus on Skill-Based Hiring
One effective method we’ve implemented to reduce bias in the hiring process is skill-based hiring. This approach evaluates candidates based on their actual skills and competencies, rather than traditional markers such as educational background or previous job titles. It starts by identifying the essential skills required for the role and developing practical assessments to measure them. We then use a blind-review process to base evaluations solely on a candidate’s performance. Also, we conduct structured interviews to maintain consistency and fairness.
The results of implementing skill-based hiring are nothing but excellent. We saw improved diversity as the process reduced biases related to gender, race, age, and educational background. This new approach to recruiting new employees brought our team a broader, more comprehensive range of perspectives and ideas.
Additionally, the quality of hires improved because candidates were better suited for their roles, leading to higher performance levels and quicker adaptation to job responsibilities. The process also promoted fairness, boosting our employer brand and attracting a broader talent pool. As a result, employee turnover decreased, with new hires feeling more competent and confident in their roles.
I recommend implementing skill-based hiring to any forward-thinking company willing to create a positive, bias-free work environment where employees’ competencies matter more than anything else. It leads to a more diverse, fair, and effective workforce as candidates are evaluated on their true potential and capabilities.
Agata Szczepanek
Career Expert & Community Manager, LiveCareer
Utilize AI for Initial Screening
For the initial part of the hiring process, we have adopted AI tools to screen candidates. These tools are designed to evaluate resumes and applications according to preset criteria so as to remove potential human bias in the process. By letting data-driven algorithms do the work, we hope to judge the candidates fairly and objectively. The adoption of AI screening in our hiring procedure has made the process more cost-effective and efficient by hastening the process of eliminating candidates in the initial stage to reach those who are more qualified.
Furthermore, this process has led to a more just selection procedure with a more diverse and qualified talent pool. As a result of the AI screening, there has also been a corresponding increase in the diversity of the candidates we hire, enriching organizational culture and improving overall performance.
Sunaree Komolchomalee
Head of Human Resources, Cupid Digital PR Agency
Maintain a Consistent Interview Committee
The most effective way to reduce bias in the hiring process is to ensure the interview committee is consistent for every interview. Although this sounds simple, it typically does not happen due to “moving fast” to hire, lack of employee availability (OOO/sick, etc.), which is all problematic because it does not allow for a fair and equitable interview process for the candidates. Based on my experience, as a result of creating a streamlined approach for interviews, it allows the team to be on the same page and collectively determine who is the best to hire.
Megan Dias
Career Services Coach, Parsity
Standardize Interview Questions
We structured our interview process to ensure consistency and fairness. Every candidate is assessed with the same set of questions and evaluation criteria, reducing the influence of subjective judgments. This method has not only enhanced the inclusivity of our team but has also enriched our company culture with a wider range of perspectives and ideas. The result has been a demonstrable improvement in innovation and team collaboration, ultimately driving our company’s success forward.
Dinesh Agarwal
Founder, CEO, RecurPost
Submit Your Answer
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