Don’t let your bias affect who you hire

We’re all biased, whether we care to admit it or not. Bias becomes a real problem when it interferes with your ability to find talent and affects your business’s growth.

We have our biases, whether we care to admit it or not.

That’s not to say we are racist, xenophobic, homophobic or misogynistic. It’s not the same as saying we prefer people who have similar background or think similarly to us (although, frankly, many of us do).

Bias is anything that prevents us from seeing things objectively. It can mean favouring the last – or first – a person you spoke to; assuming someone possesses certain traits. It can also be thinking that past events will automatically predict future ones.

When it comes to business, these particular biases  can stand in the way of hiring the best talent. It can affect building the effective teams and ultimately achieving goals.

So if you want to conquer bias and introduce some objectivity into your hiring processes, follow our guide.

What does unconscious bias look like?

Bias comes in a number of forms. In fact, people analytics company Revelian identifies no less than 21 different people biases that can influence the way we hire. Some of the more common ones include:

• Stereotyping. Taking an overly simplistic view of a person or group of people without considering potential differences.
• Confirmation bias. Where we only consider new information insofar as it confirms our pre-existing beliefs.
• Dunning-Kruger superiority bias. Assuming we know more about a topic or over-exaggerate our knowledge and so forming an uninformed view.
• Anchoring bias. Using the first piece of information we receive as the base point for understanding future information.
• Social comparison bias. Thinking that someone is better or worse than us at something and hiring on that basis.
• Blind spot bias. Assuming our reality is accurate. It’s not.

How to overcome bias when hiring

For a lot of companies, a dose of old-fashioned bias has been the cornerstone of the recruitment process. Although, a growing number of businesses are starting to look for ways to overcome bias in their hiring process. In doing so, they want build real diversity in their workforce and leadership teams.

One of the most effective ways to achieve this is through rigorous psychometric testing.

According to the Psychometric Institute, psychometric tests are designed to measure a candidate’s suitability based on the personality characteristics and aptitudes (or cognitive abilities) needed to succeed in the role they’re applying for. These tests can also help uncover some of the personality traits that aren’t so obvious in a face-to-face meeting.

A good psychometric assessment should also be statistically examined, and constructed to be objective and unbiased.

When to conduct testing

Clearly, sending psychometric tests out to every applicant for a role would be a waste of time and precious resources. However, there is a strong argument for integrating assessments into the final stages of your recruitment process – and ideally before the final interview.

This allows a clearer picture of any gaps or issues in terms of their personality, work-style or knowledgable fit for the role. Improving your interview questions, and ensuring the best use of your time while reducing the risk of a bad hire.

The type of analysing assessments you issue matters too. For instance, for a high-level role, it’s worth investing in comprehensive testing. These include aptitude testing (including cognitive, verbal reasoning, numerical and abstract reasoning) and personality testing (such as 16PF or DiSC). Specifically assess aspects of their psychological character such as their emotional intelligence, integrity, or their attitude towards safety at work. There are tests for all of these things.

Criticisms of psychometric testing

Not everyone is convinced that psychometric tests are the be-all and end-all. Some suggest they can be gamed because they assume people will answer accurately and chances are they will instead simply tell you what you want to hear.

There is also the argument that some – such as the Myers-Briggs test – take an ‘all or nothing’ approach to different characteristics when really all our traits fall along a spectrum.

Finally, some critics believe that psychological tests are biased and tend to favour people with the same understanding on ‘how to behave’.

While some of these criticisms may have legs, we think that utilising a verified and validated test, while administering it properly, will help overcome deficiencies.

In saying that, test results should never be used as the deciding factor in whether a candidate is offered the role.

Instead, they should be seen as a way of adding value to the recruitment process in supplementing your own information through objective, scientifically validated and bias-free data.

Want more?

Catalina Consultants partners with Revelian to administer psychometric assessments.

We’re trained to make sure you receive the right test based on the needs and objectives of your business. We can facilitate a full range of tests from detailed behavioural and cognitive profiles for senior and strategically important roles through to aptitude tests, and technical skills assessments. We can also administer integrity and values assessments (great for all roles or where there’s a specific area of concern or focus).

Get in touch if you’d like to know how you can use psychometric testing to help overcome bias in your recruitment processes.