Reducing Bias in the Hiring Process
Reducing Bias in the Hiring Process
Reducing Bias in the Hiring Process
When one is actively recruiting new team members and employees, it’s easy to fall into the trap of believing that an organization is diverse and inclusive. But there’s more to diversity than just recruiting individuals who reflect the general population. If one doesn’t consider how everyone interacts with one another once they’re hired, one may miss out on some crucial information about improving performance down the road.
Dr. Jordan Sudberg Knows That Unconscious Bias Can Affect Hiring Practices
Dr. Jordan Sudberg is a pain management expert. He says that unconscious bias will affect how employers select candidates for jobs and evaluate the performance of people they have hired.
Changing Biased Behaviors Is Hard
It takes a lot of work and self-evaluation to truly accept one’s own biases and the ways one may harm others in the hiring process. One needs to be aware of actions and their consequences, willing to change them, and accept that one is not perfect.
Bias in Hiring Practices Can Happen at Any Stage
Bias occurs when recruiters screen candidates for interviews by relying on superficial criteria such as looks or demographic information like zip code or educational background instead of more relevant factors like skill sets and experience concerning specific job requirements. One can also reduce bias against applicants with disabilities by asking them how they would perform particular tasks. It is good to have conversations instead of assuming they won’t be able to do them based on assumptions about their physical abilities.
A Diverse Team Can Contribute to Better Outcomes
Diversity of thought, experience, and background is well known to lead to a better product or service. It’s also essential for decision making and problem solving. The exciting thing is that research shows that “diverse teams outperform homogeneous ones in terms of creativity and innovation” (Stanford University). Studies have shown that diverse groups make better decisions because they consider a more comprehensive range of perspectives when evaluating ideas.
Diversity and Inclusion
Diversity and inclusion are keys to successful business operations, not just recruiting efforts. Employers should make a concerted effort to reduce bias in all areas of their organization, from recruitment to promotion. Employers should be aware of unconscious biases and train managers to recognize them when making hiring decisions or evaluating employees for promotions.
Employers Should Make a Concerted Effort To Reduce Bias
Dr. Jordan Sudberg knows that there are two primary ways employers can reduce bias in the hiring process. One of them is that employers should make a concerted effort to minimize bias in all areas of their organization, from recruitment to promotion. Additionally, employers also should have a clear understanding of the laws that regulate the hiring process. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has issued guidelines on how employers can take steps toward nondiscrimination. These guidelines include avoiding interview questions that seem biased or asking applicants about disabilities before making an offer of employment.
Companies that want to build diverse and inclusive teams should make a concerted effort to reduce bias in all areas of their organization, from recruitment to promotion. They can start by examining their hiring process, making sure that it’s not biased against certain groups of people.