While you may not want to think that any of your employees may be biased, the truth is that it happens. In many cases, it’s unintentional. The human mind can create an unconscious bias towards applicants which can lead to unfair hiring decisions. To avoid this, here are four strategies you can implement at your business.
Blank Out Names on Applications
While you may not want to admit it, there is some unconscious bias that you have. This is something that everyone has to pay close attention to throughout the hiring process. One great way to help reduce these unconscious bias is to blank out the name of the applicant when assessing applications. This way, you’re only taking into account work-relevant data from your applications.
Have a Defined Hiring Process
While most people may not want to admit it, people like to hire people that they can easily get along with and relate to. To avoid having this unconscious bias during the hiring process, you should create a clearly defined process for all applicants. HR risk assessment services can be a great place to start identifying where your hiring process is lapsing. Your process should revolve around the skills needed to complete the specific job that you’re hiring for. When the focus is on the skills, it helps to eliminate unconscious bias and allows you to hire the candidate with the right skills for the job.
Revamp Your Ads
When you put out an advertisement for a job opening, you want to reach as many people as possible that have the skills that you need. The bigger your hiring pool, the more likely you’ll find the ideal candidate for the job. Read through your existing ad and remove unnecessary and gender bias language. For example, using the term “dominant” can be associated with masculinity and cause some females to not apply as they may not see themselves as dominant.
Have Multiple Managers Present During Interviews
One of the best ways to help reduce hiring bias at your business is to bring more people into the hiring decision. Instead of having one manager in charge of hiring for their department, have at least three. This way, when the candidates come in for an interview, there are multiple people involved. This can help to remind managers of the skills they’re looking for and prevent unnecessary bias.
Bias during the hiring process is one very quick way to get slapped with a lawsuit. You should prepare your employees as best as possible to avoid creating any sort of bias during the hiring process. The above are four great tactics that you can start to implement today to make a difference in your hiring process for the better.