From Biased to Best Practice with Inclusive Hiring
We previously explored how bias related to names and ethnicity is still prevalent in recruitment, and now we’re considering how an inclusive hiring process can help you mitigate bias of any kind.
When you’re looking to make an inclusive hire, and indeed the best possible hire, your secret weapon is evidence.
That is because hiring is actually an incredibly difficult process; you’re using a small amount of evidence to try to predict if someone will be able to do the job you’re hiring them for. So much can – and does – get in the way that most recruitment processes are formulated to “catch candidates out” rather than inviting them in. On the other hand, there’s no shortage of manuals on how to land a job, which mostly talk about how to make a good impression.
Research shows that eliciting a specific, probed example from the candidate’s past, reflecting an objectively defined skill, is the best predictor of future behaviour. And that’s why our Inclusive Hiring methodology emphasises gathering quality evidence on the candidates at your disposal, and using that evidence to make the final decision.
Three Steps to Success
Inclusive hiring is built around three key steps:
Be crystal clear on the role you’re hiring for.
Be crystal clear on the skills, competencies, behaviours and experiences required for that role. That means:
Describing the competency instead of using a proxy. For example, instead of requiring “X years of experience in the industry” (which is potentially discriminatory), describe the skills needed. That could attract candidates who developed those skills in different industries!
Can any of these skills be nurtured on the job? If yes, consider displaying them as development opportunities rather than requirements on the job description.
No desirable skills just because you feel like it! Research shows that candidates from minoritised backgrounds stop themselves from applying when faced with skills they don’t meet in a job description, even if those are only desirable skills.
3. Put in place an evidence-based process to assess your key criteria at every stage. This will help you focus on the criteria that actually measure competence, rather than mistaking enthusiasm for competence (“they knew so much about us!”).
Evidence, evidence, evidence
When sifting CVs and reviewing online applications, a classic skills matrix is a simple but effective way of answering the question, can I see evidence of my requirement in this CV or not? It’s easy to be influenced by extraneous information in a CV – perhaps an applicant got their degree from Oxford University – so a matrix is a simple tool to mitigate the risk of bias at this stage.
A CV sifting matrix also helps you focus on the criteria that can feasibly be measured through a CV – usually, objective criteria such as having a certain accreditation or a high-level skill.
Don’t judge a book by its cover
It's easy for bias to creep into interviews based on candidate behaviour, too, so it’s vital that your questions allow candidates to illustrate how their skills and experience meet your criteria. Without this, most interviewers would likely give a higher score to a well-rehearsed, cheerful candidate rather than a nervous one who’s not making eye contact, purely based on how they present themselves.
Structure for success
For hiring managers, an inclusive hiring process also makes the job much easier.
Think about it – a process with clear, agreed criteria that are measurable and applied consistently across the entire selection process means that you only need to set it up once. Invest at the start and replicate it for every candidate.
Now compare this to the traditional process. Each interviewer comes with their own shortlist and questions they want to ask, without considering what evidence they're looking for. This results in a process that is subjective, biased and unstructured. Without agreeing your criteria, how can you decide who to hire, when everyone spent the interviews looking for a different person?
What’s more, the traditional process requires a true juggling act from your interviewers: asking questions, remaining engaged with the candidate, taking notes and evaluating the response simultaneously. It’s impossible to do this objectively. Our Inclusive Hiring methodology solves this – take notes in the interview and make your evidence-based judgements later, based on your pre-agreed criteria.
Remember, interviews should let your candidates shine, not try to trip them up!
Ready to transform your hiring process for good? Contact us today to get started.
Written by Maria Baggio