A diverse and inclusive workplace is a worthy aspiration, but turning it into a reality can be challenging, especially when it comes to recruitment. Hiring biases can impede your efforts to achieve diversity and can also negatively impact employee satisfaction. For instance, a survey conducted by fact-checking organization Fullfact revealed that candidates with names that sound typically white were 74% more likely to receive interview calls compared to those with ethnic-sounding names. Falling into this bias trap may cause your business to miss out on key talents necessary for growth.
If you’re a small business without a dedicated HR team, addressing hiring biases can be particularly challenging. In this article, we’ll explore strategies that Clear Commercials, like any other business, can implement to avoid falling victim to hiring bias. These strategies include:
01 | Acknowledge the existence of biases and make an effort to identify them. 02 | Revise your job advertisements. 03 | Utilize new channels for advertising job openings. 04 | Review job applications anonymously. 05 | Transform your hiring process into a collective effort. 06 | Structure your interviews. 07 | Prioritize behavior and values over skills and experience. 08 | Continuously monitor diversity in your hiring. 09 | Adopt a soft approach when implementing structural changes.
What Is Recruitment Bias? Recruitment bias is an unconscious bias held by members of a hiring team that favors certain candidates over others. It is a form of subtle discrimination that reinforces stereotypes and hinders diversity within an organization.
Recruitment biases can target various candidate traits, including age, gender, ethnicity, and sexual orientation. These biases are often unconscious and, therefore, challenging to acknowledge and address.
For example, traits such as age, gender, and ethnicity are protected by the Equality Act 2010, which prohibits discrimination based on these characteristics. However, proving such discrimination during the hiring process can be difficult, as a company can argue that a candidate was not hired due to a lack of required skills.
To promote diversity effectively, it is crucial to address recruitment biases proactively, as prevention is more productive than addressing the consequences. However, since many recruiters may not be aware of their biases, companies must make a conscious effort to combat them.
- Acknowledge the Existence of Biases and Make an Effort to Identify Them The first step in combating recruitment bias is recognizing that it exists within your organization. Initiate open discussions within your recruitment team about biases, without judgment, to develop and implement an action plan.
One effective way to start this process is to use the association test created by Project Implicit, a long-term research initiative led by Harvard University. This test helps individuals identify their biases and serves as a valuable tool for your recruiting team to become aware of and address hiring biases.
Top Tip: Monitor changes in your biases over time by periodically retaking the Project Implicit test. This will help you track progress and areas needing improvement.
- Revise Your Job Advertisements The language and content of your job advertisements significantly influence the diversity of your applicant pool. Avoid gendered language and use neutral pronouns and professional titles to create inclusive job listings.
Furthermore, be mindful of the words you use. For example, terms like “dynamic” and “energetic” may deter older applicants, while “ambitious” and “active” might discourage women. Consider using neutral language and employ software tools to help identify and replace biased terms.
Top Tip: Leverage online tools, including free ones, that analyze job postings for gendered or biased language to ensure your job advertisements are inclusive.
- Utilize New Channels for Advertising Job Openings Consistently advertising job openings on the same platforms may limit the diversity of your applicant pool. To diversify your candidate pool, explore new channels for posting job listings.
Consider using diversity-focused job boards and platforms tailored to specific social groups. For example, platforms like Stonewall cater to the LGBTQ community, and BME Jobs target black and ethnic minority candidates.
Top Tip: Embrace trial and error when experimenting with different job advertising channels. Monitor their impact on your candidate pool and adjust your strategy based on your diversity goals.
- Review Job Applications Anonymously Research has shown that something as simple as a candidate’s name can trigger unconscious biases. To counter this, use tools that anonymize job applications, removing personal data and allowing your team to evaluate candidates solely based on their qualifications and experience. Consider employing AI tools or blind recruitment software for this purpose.
If you are on a budget, work samples can also be an effective way to assess a candidate’s suitability for a role without being influenced by personal information.
Top Tip: If implementing work sample tests without blind recruitment software, involve two teams—one to request the tests and obscure candidate information, and another to conduct the assessments.
- Transform Your Hiring Process into a Collective Effort Unconscious biases are often individual and personal. To reduce the impact of individual biases, involve multiple team members with diverse backgrounds and experiences in your hiring process.
Include individuals from different age groups, ethnicities, and backgrounds at various stages of the hiring process. Encourage diverse perspectives and ask them to form interview panels to ensure a more balanced assessment of candidates.
Top Tip: Subject job advertisements and outreach communications to a bias or culture check within your company before publishing or sending them.
- Structure Your Interviews Interviews can be challenging when it comes to avoiding unconscious biases, as we tend to be drawn to people we relate to. To minimize this affinity bias, use structured interviews with a predefined script. Ensure that all applicants are asked the same questions, allowing for a more objective evaluation.
Top Tip: Grade candidate answers to specific questions to maintain consistency across interviews and facilitate measurable assessments.
- Prioritize Behavior and Values Over Skills and Experience While it’s natural to seek candidates with specific skills and experience, emphasizing these criteria can exclude individuals who have valuable qualities but lack certain qualifications. Incorporate assessments of candidate behavior to gauge their fit with your company culture and their ability to make appropriate decisions on the job.
Consider supporting employees’ side hustles and openly discuss this support during the hiring process to broaden your talent pool. Skills and experience can be developed over time.
Top Tip: Use behavior questionnaires or allocate a section of the interview to assess candidate behavior.
- Monitor Your Diversity Hiring Creating a diverse workforce is an ongoing effort. Periodically review your hiring statistics to identify areas where you may not be embracing certain demographics. Pay attention to whether diverse candidates are being considered for a range of roles or consistently funneled into specific positions.
Top Tip: Focus on promoting diversity as a genuine goal rather than aiming to hire diverse candidates solely for the sake of meeting diversity targets.
- Avoid Imposing Structural Changes Cultural change should be a collective endeavor, inspired by dialogue. Imposing diversity training and grievance systems on managers and employees may lead to resistance and backlash.
While you can offer diversity training, make participation voluntary rather than mandatory. This approach can help individuals gain new perspectives without creating resentment.
Top Tip: Encourage open dialogues about diversity and inclusion rather than forcing structural changes onto your team.
In Conclusion The strategies outlined in this article are essential steps Clear Commercials and other companies can take to combat unconscious bias in their recruitment processes and promote diversity within their organizations. Remember that biases are individual, but addressing them is a collective effort. Embrace the diverse worldviews of your team members, as they are key to transforming your recruitment process and identifying exceptional talents from various backgrounds.
Continually strive to create an inclusive workplace environment, where diversity is celebrated and valued. For more insights on fostering inclusivity, explore resources on workplace inclusion for LGBTQ employees.