Fair Play: Top Tips for Tackling Interview Bias

Interviewing is such an important skill for recruiters and hiring managers as it plays a pivotal role in the selection of top talent for organisations. However, interview bias interferes with the hiring process and prevents a fair recruitment process, which is based on candidate suitability and merit-based assessment, often leading to poor hiring decisions.

Bias can emerge at various stages of the recruitment journey, but it is especially prevalent when reviewing interview feedback and notes. In this blog, we’ll explore what interview bias is, its implications and most importantly, how to avoid it to ensure you’re making more objective and consistent hiring decisions.

What is Interview Bias?

Recruitment and interview bias refers to the opinions formed based on initial impressions that influence interviewers’ decisions, both favourably and unfavourably, towards candidates during the interview process. This bias can be based on various factors, including age, gender, race, ethnicity, appearance or other personal characteristics that are unrelated to a candidate’s qualifications or ability to perform the job.

Here are a few examples of this bias:

• One applicant could be favoured over another because they have similar traits to the interviewer, such as supporting the same football team or having the same interests
• Candidate was selected because they had common interests and the interviewer feels that they are someone they would socialise with outside of work
• A male candidate is not interviewed for a receptionist role as a female is seen as being more friendly
• A 58-year-old candidate is not selected to work in a marketing team because the team are all under 30 years of age
• A candidate is not selected due to their religious beliefs not fitting in with the company culture

How Can Interviewer Bias Be Avoided?

Recognising and addressing interview bias is crucial to ensure a fair and inclusive hiring process. Here are some strategies to avoid interview bias:

• Awareness of Common Biases: Familiarise yourself with common biases. These include Confirmation Bias, The Halo & Horns Effect, Similarity Bias, Contrast Effect, Affinity Bias, Gender, Age and Ethnic Bias. Being mindful of these biases will enable you to avoid making hasty judgments based on limited or irrelevant information
• Unbiased Job Descriptions: Start the process by crafting inclusive and unbiased job descriptions. Avoid using language that could unintentionally discourage certain candidates from applying. For instance, instead of saying “speak excellent English,” opt for “strong communication skills.”
• Structured Interviews: Use structured interviews where you ask each candidate the same set of questions. This approach helps focus on the skills and competencies required for the role, reducing the influence of personal factors on the decision-making process
• Panel Interviews: Consider using panel interviews instead of multiple rounds of separate interviews. Panel interviews involve multiple interviewers from different departments or levels of the organisation, reducing the impact of individual biases and promoting a more balanced assessment of candidates
• Educate employees about unconscious bias

Top Tip: Utilise Behavioural Interviewing Techniques – frame questions that ask candidates to provide specific examples of their experiences and accomplishments. This allows you to assess candidates based on their demonstrated abilities rather than relying on hypothetical scenarios or assumptions.

Is Interview Bias Illegal?

Yes, if recruitment selection is based on preconceptions relating to characteristics that are protected by the Equality Act this could result in unlawful discrimination during the hiring process, which could lead to costly Employment Tribunal claims, as well as affecting company reputation. Protected characteristics include race, gender, age, religion, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity and disability.

Is Interviewer Bias an Ethical Issue?

Absolutely! Interview bias represents an ethical concern that goes further than legal implications and raises concerns about Employer’s integrity and attitude to equal opportunity. Embracing diversity and inclusion in the workplace has been proven to enhance innovation, creativity and overall organisational success.

How to Take the Bias Out of Interviews?

• Independent Feedback Review: Encourage interviewers to review their notes separately and independently. This practice helps prevent groupthink and ensures that each interviewer’s evaluation is not influenced by others
• Embrace Diverse Perspectives: Involve individuals with diverse backgrounds and experiences in the hiring process as this helps to challenge preconceived notions which results in more comprehensive and inclusive decision-making
• Documented and Justified Decisions: Document the reasons behind each hiring decision. Transparent decision-making reinforces accountability and helps identify and address possible bias

Top Tip: Have you ever considered ‘Blind Auditions’? This is where you would conceal certain personal information about the candidate such as their name, gender, race or educational background. This practice could help to avoid bias by solely focusing on qualifications and skills relevant to the role.

More Ways to Address Interview Bias

• Diversity Training: we recommend diversity and inclusion training to every person involved in the hiring process. This training aims to raise awareness of bias so everyone understands the importance of reducing bias in their decision making
• Hiring Process Evaluation: by regularly reviewing and evaluating your hiring processes, you ensure a fair and effective process
• Monitor, Monitor, Monitor: it’s important to keep track of hiring decisions in order to identify patterns of bias over time. This helps to take corrective action and ensures ongoing accountability 
• Emphasise Skills & Culture Fit: instead of trying to fit candidates into preconceived moulds, focus on the skills, qualifications and cultural fit of candidates as they bring unique perspectives to the organisation

Tackling interview bias is a critical responsibility for recruiters and hiring managers to ensure fair and inclusive hiring practices. By acknowledging common biases, using structured interviews and seeking diverse perspectives, we can create a more objective and equitable recruitment process. Embracing unbiased hiring practices not only enhances the candidate experience but also fosters a diverse and talented workforce that drives organisational success. As an Immersive Recruitment Solutions Provider, Attega is committed to supporting our clients in their journey towards a more inclusive and bias-free hiring process.

Attega Group on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn to view all of our current vacancies and to stay up to date on all insights and industry news.