Just because it’s the Halloween season doesn’t mean your hiring process should be scary. In fact, your candidates want to feel appreciated and supported throughout the entire hiring process. But this one thing could be a grave error on your part. What is the scariest mistake you can make while hiring? It’s known as unconscious bias and you don’t even know you’re doing it. Here’s what you need to know about it.
Educate Yourself
One of the best ways to avoid unconscious bias is to replace it with education. Take time to read about how unconscious bias works in our brains and how to avoid it. Take training courses, read articles, and really consider your own personal values and biases when you make decisions, even non-hiring decisions.
Create a Consistent Process
The next step to avoiding unconscious bias in hiring is to create a consistent process so every candidate who comes in to interview is judged on the same criteria. Make a checklist of things that are important to the job. Ask each candidate the same questions. Involve others in the office in the process as well. Take good notes, so you can compare every candidate before making a decision.
Expand Your Network
Sometimes the reason we make the same unconscious decisions is that we don’t expose ourselves to a more diverse pool of people. If you source candidate from the same place every time, you may find your choices are homogenous. Instead, expand your network to find candidates in a wide variety of places.
Set Diversity Goals
It’s also a good idea to set diversity goals and regularly measure your progress. Talk to diversity experts who can help you establish realistic and helpful goals. Start hiring candidates from underrepresented groups in decision-making positions to help diversity the way your company operates. Regularly reassess your recruiting goals with diversity in mind.
Do you want to eliminate unconscious bias from your hiring process? Contact Harvard Resource Solutions, Staffing Agencies in Troy MI, to learn more today.
