Reducing Bias In the

Candidate Selection

Process

Awareness and Mitigation

Joshua Ramey-Renk

Director of Talent and HR Operations

v.8/14/14

What we’re going to talk about:

• What is bias?• Some types of bias• A couple of puzzles to solve!• Best practices for reducing bias during the

selection process

What Is Bias?

Automatic judgment against orfor one thing, person, or group compared with another.

Usually perceived to be unfair.Consistently shown to be unhelpful.

We are not here to beat anyone up.Snap judgments are normal, natural,

and a way humans have evolved in order to survive.

Please Note

Art is from Brazil, Brad is from England, Carlo is from the US, and Dianna is from The Philippines.

They are all getting ready to interview, but the coordinator knows there is one more person who is supposed to interview as well, but can’t remember who.

Is it Erita from India or Jessica from Ireland?

.

Quick Quiz #1

What pattern did you see?

• If you saw the alphabetical pattern, then Erita would be next (A…B…C…D…E!)

…but

• If you saw the # of letters in the name, then Jessica is next (3…4…5…6…7!)

What did this illustrate?

• We are programmed to seek patterns and identify similarities and differences, and those patterns are often engaged at the subconscious and immediate level. Whether you saw the alphbetical pattern or the number pattern reflects a way that you are preconditioned to judge things.

Grounds for Bias

• Name (e.g., Are Emily and Greg More Employable than Lakishaand Jamal?)

• Education Credentials (e.g., School Pride)

• Area Code/Zip Code• Interview Styles• Environmental Background: Necessity?• Others? Care to share a personal experience?

(If not, it’s ok!)

WARNING.

HR SPEAK AHEAD

`

The Two Sides of the Same Bias Coin

• Halo/Horn• Primacy/Recency• Proximity/Similarity• Central Tendency

`

HALO / HORN

One good thing. One bad thing.

A single quality overshadows everything else about a candidate.

Primacy: Selection is made based on information that was presented earlier rather than later in a process.

Recency: The last person interviewed always seems like the best candidate.

Primacy / Recency

Proximity / Similarity Bias

“Wow, this candidate is just like me.

That’s awesome!” “Hmm, this candidate is just like me.

That can’t be good”

`

Central Tendency

Everyone’s great! Everyone’s average.

The interviewer is unable to select who is best for the job.

100

50

0

There is no such thing as a “positive” bias. Bias of any type is unhelpful when trying to

reach a rational decision.

Please Note

Bias removes objective analysis.

Why?

Quick Quiz #2

• Are these in the correct order?

Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue?

• How about now?

, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue?

What did this illustrate?

• In real life, information is conveyed in a lot of ways, and sometimes, something delivers multiple kinds of information

• In order to mitigate bias, we have to be sure that we understand what information is important…was it the names of the colors, or the color of the letters??

Can we completely eliminate our biases?

However, we can temporarily, for a while, mitigate unchecked assumptions.

No.

Process focus is proven to be the most effective way to mitigate bias.

Focus on the candidates’ skills and the requirements of the position.

Get other opinions.

How?

Conduct in-person interviews with the

top 2-3.

Sierra Club Best Practices

Start with a focus on quantifiableskills.

Phone screen the top 25% of applicants.

Do a second round with the top 5.

Have people help you out during this

decision process

Interview and Reference Questions

(Where you should and should not go)

Let’s talk about the reference check/interviewing process.

Note: The same issues apply.

•Before asking an applicant a question, ask yourself: What does this question have to do with the job?

•As much as possible, ask only job-related questions.•As much as possible, ask the same questions of each

applicant.•Standardize interview questions so that they can be asked

of all job candidates.

Interview Questions, pt. 1

(Where you should and should not go)

•Standardize the forms on which you record information about the interview. This helps you keep unbiased data.•Avoid subtle discrimination such as indirect statements that may show a preference for a particular group.• If an applicant offers personal information of a protected nature, steer the conversation back to the skills needed to do the job.

Interview Questions, pt. 2

(Where you should and should not go)

Reference Checks

Again, focus questions on skills and

job-related attributes.

By the way, be sure that your candidate knows when they are being done and has signed the release page of

the application.

Reference Checks

Not sure about what to ask?

Need some ideas?

You can find sample interview and reference check questions in Taleo!

1. We all have biases!

2. Bias can be mitigated through process, standardization, and different viewpoints.

3. A focus on job-related skills is the best way to consistently select the best candidate from the pool.

To summarize:

Any questions?

Some research:

• Bertrand, M., & Mullainathan, S. (2003). Are Emily and Greg More Employable Than Lakisha and Jamal? Case study. NBER Working Paper No. 9873.

• Self, W., Tetlock, P., Mellers, B., Mitchell, G., Hildreth, J.A.D. (2012). Calibrating Process and Outcome Accountability Systems in the Workplace to Meet Fairness and Efficiency Goals, http://www.shrm.org/about/foundation/research/Pages/FdnResearchTetlock.aspx

• Anderson, N.& Shackleton, V. (2011). Decision making in the graduate selection interview: A field study, http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.2044-8325.1990.tb00510.x/abstract.

• Rakić, T., Steffens, C., Mummendey, A. (2011). When it matters how you pronounce it: The influence of regional accents on job interview outcome, http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.2044-8295.2011.02051.x/full

Some resources:

• Gladwell, Malcolm. “The New-Boy Network.” What the Dog Saw. New York: Little, Brown, and Company, 2009.

• Sandberg, Sheryl. Lean In. (Appendices and end notes) New York: Alfred A. Knopf 2013

• Analysis of your own bias, Harvard Research Study

https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/demo/takeatest.html

Questions? Contact:

Joshua Ramey-RenkDirector of Talent and HR Operations415-977-5611