How to Mitigate Hidden Biases in Hiring:

As recruiters and talent acquisition professionals, one of the most challenging aspects of our roles is working with hiring managers to mitigate bias during the hiring process. While racial, gender, age, and religious biases are often at the forefront of discussions about workplace discrimination, the rapid evolution of technology and remote interviewing practices has introduced a new layer of subtle biases that can be harder to identify but equally impactful. Recognizing when hiring decisions are influenced by bias, rather than legitimate qualifications, is critical to ensuring a fair and equitable process for all candidates.

Let’s dive into some of the biases that may not be as easily recognizable, yet can still have a significant impact on hiring outcomes.

The Subtle Signs of Bias in Hiring Decisions

For example, let’s say the recruiter sets up an interview for a technical position, one where the candidate will rarely need to interact with others face-to-face. The hiring manager, however, rejects the candidate because of “failing to make eye contact.” On the surface, this may seem like a reasonable reason for rejecting the candidate, but when examined closely, it is completely irrelevant to the job’s core requirements. In fact, eye contact is not a necessary part of the role, which primarily involves technical tasks that do not require frequent interpersonal interaction.

This type of decision is often based on non-relevant factors, and it reflects what psychologists call “introjected disqualification,” where an individual is judged unfairly based on irrelevant personal traits or behaviors. Such reasoning can unintentionally exclude qualified candidates, especially those with neurodiverse, social or stress conditions, which can affect a person’s comfort with eye contact. In this case, rejecting a candidate due to this non-relevant factor could be seen as discriminatory, particularly if the candidate is qualified to perform the tasks required by the role.

The Role of Intrapersonal Skills in Hiring Bias

In addition to non-relevant factors like eye contact, another common area where bias creeps into hiring decisions is the emphasis on intrapersonal skills. While communication and collaboration skills are important in many roles, they are not always essential for every position. For example, a highly skilled technical expert may be great at their job but not particularly adept at building personal rapport or engaging in casual conversation. When hiring managers overly focus on interpersonal chemistry, they risk overlooking candidates with the right skills but less polished social interaction. However, such factors are rarely a legitimate reason to disqualify a candidate, particularly when those traits do not directly affect job performance.

The Consequences of Subconscious Bias

When hiring managers prioritize personal connections or “gut feelings” over objective qualifications, it can lead to selection bias. This happens when a hiring manager chooses candidates based on superficial similarities—such as shared hobbies or interests—rather than the candidate’s actual abilities and qualifications for the role. These biases often occur unconsciously, but they can result in a situation where a candidate who would excel in the role is passed over in favor of someone who simply “fits in” better on a personal level.

Such biases are particularly common in interviews, where hiring decisions are sometimes made based on subtle, subjective impressions rather than a structured, objective evaluation of a candidate’s skills and experience. Over time, this can lead to missed opportunities to hire diverse talent and, ultimately, a less inclusive workplace.

The Importance of Bias Training for Hiring Managers

To prevent these types of biases from impacting hiring decisions, it’s crucial to ensure that hiring managers receive proper bias training. Without training, hiring managers may unknowingly focus on the wrong aspects of a candidate’s profile—leading them to prioritize irrelevant factors like personal chemistry or interpersonal skills over qualifications that truly matter.

Training can help hiring managers develop the skills to identify and counteract unconscious biases, ensuring they make decisions based on merit and job-relevant criteria. It can also help them recognize when their decisions are influenced by factors like the candidate’s communication style, appearance, or personal traits, which have little or no bearing on the candidate’s ability to succeed in the role.

Conclusion: Mitigating Bias for Smarter, More Effective Hiring

Hiring is a critical process that shapes the future of an organization. Making informed, bias-free decisions is essential for hiring the best talent and ensuring that candidates are evaluated fairly. If you suspect that unconscious biases are affecting your team’s hiring decisions, consider bringing in a consultant to provide training and mentorship for your HR team or hiring managers.

In the end, creating a bias-free, structured, and objective hiring process will not only help you avoid legal risks but also improve employee retention and foster a more diverse and successful workforce. By ensuring that hiring decisions are based on skills, experience, and job-related criteria, we can all contribute to creating workplaces that are truly equitable and inclusive for everyone.

Photo by Jr Korpa on Unsplash

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