Bias in selection is something you want to avoid. Or the other way around: how do you set up as fair a selection process as possible? Fairness in the selection of new colleagues means preventing bias. Bias arises from systematic errors of judgment in the selection process. These errors can lead to an adverse impact: candidates with certain characteristics are then structurally disadvantaged. Bias based on culture, gender, and age is most common. Bias is in people, but also in systems and programs. In this blog, I have listed 8 tips from our practice for you.
“Unstructured interviews lead to riding one’s own hobbyhorses; that’s just a guarantee of bias.”
Bias and selection is people work
Selectors are like human beings. Often unconsciously, they make biased judgments. How can you avoid that?
- First of all, awareness lets selectors gain insight into the limitations of their own frames of reference. Meanwhile, there is ample awareness training available.
- Make sure your selectors are trained to conduct structured interviews, for example, using the STAR technique. Unstructured and ill-prepared interviews lead interviewers to ride their own hobbyhorses, thereby guaranteeing bias. Candidates should be assessed on the same criteria and in the same way.
- Make judgments based on factual information. It is amazing how many judgments about applicants are made based on things that have not been discussed. “I can see him doing it,” a familiar phenomenon, right? Another guarantee of bias.
- Provide an evaluation of judgment. How well can your selectors predict? Just compare your performance data with the selectors’ judgments from a year ago. The worst selectors are often also the most biased.
“Just assume that current systems and processes are not equitable.”
Bias in selection systems and procedures
In addition to fallible human judgment, systems and procedures can create bias in the selection process. What bias can arise here, and how can you reduce it?
- Selection criteria should be relevant and independent of each other. In addition, selection criteria should be predetermined, including associated standards. So that each candidate is judged along the same bar. You keep the selection criteria manageable by limiting the number. In our practice, we assume a maximum of 12 criteria (knowledge and behavioral competencies). Behavioral competencies should be as far apart as possible to avoid bias. For our clients, we can use the distance matrix to test behavioral competencies for interdependence. This distance matrix indicates the extent to which the competencies appeal to the same underlying psychological characteristics.
- In addition to human judgment, organizations often use psychological testing or assessment. Some 2 points are important here. First, online selection tools should be examined for bias. For example, candidates should be able to take a test in their native language. Second, selectors should have the knowledge to interpret psychological score reports. If they don’t, train them.
- Adopt a multi-method approach. This ensures that candidates are assessed based on multiple criteria, collected with multiple tools and by multiple assessors. Fully objective judgment without bias does not exist. But if selectors gather information independently, with multiple instruments, on predetermined criteria, it helps quite a bit to counter bias.
- Conduct annual validation studies to test the usefulness of selection criteria in practice. This requires that performance data can be systematically compared with previously collected psychological data.
A validation study may show that certain psychological data used during the selection process add nothing to predicting the assessed performance. Data that add nothing to the quality of judgment should no longer be used. This can only produce bias.
Less bias, better selection, more diversity
Do you want new sounds in your organization? Do you want to be surprised more often by a new way of solving problems, a different perspective? Then start reducing bias in the selection processes. Hiring managers, recruitment, HR, in short, everyone involved will be better able to objectively recognize talent from a multitude of target groups. This is very useful in a scarce labor market.
