Different Is Important and Uncomfortable
People like what they know. The more times we try a food, the more we like it. The more we hear a song, the more we like it. There is comfort in familiarity and your brain uses helpful shortcuts to say something familiar is good, safe, and positive.
These shortcuts, however, are not helpful during a hiring process, when affinity bias leads to preferring candidates who are familiar and “like you,” unintentionally leading to inequitable and non-inclusive hiring.
Biased hiring processes are usually unintentional. In order to mitigate bias, the search committee and hiring agent need to be intentional. How can you do this?
First, recognize that biases are normal. Knowing and identifying biases can help mitigate their impact. Discussing this as a committee is an important step.
Second, have clear priorities for hiring. What is the goal of the role? How will you measure success? What skills and experiences will the candidate need to possess to be successful?
Third, examine your requirements. Are the requirements really requirements, or is it what you are used to? For instance, does a candidate truly need a certain level of education, or can they demonstrate the skills and abilities to do the job in a different way? Be open to considering different ways of achieving the goal that you define as success in the role.
Fourth, make sure you have a clear and consistent process with tools to match. For instance, all candidates moving forward to the interview stage should be invited to the same process with the same set of questions. All candidates should be evaluated with the same matrix, created based on your list of needed skills and requirements.
Fifth, take the time. Because biases create a shortcut for your brain, they often pop up when you move too quickly. Take time to be deliberate and make sure of why you are evaluating each candidate as you are, making sure there is consistency and relevancy.
Finally, make sure that you have a plan for onboarding and evaluating your new employee. Just as bias can creep into the hiring process, it can unknowingly become a part of the evaluation and promotion process.
Diverse teams make business sense, bringing new, innovative perspectives and productivity. Getting there requires breaking the pattern that leads to “more of the same,” while embracing the strengths and abilities that will bring depth, experience, innovation, and different perspectives to your team.
