Is your selection process fair?

Unfair treatment in the selection process can leave your company at risk and can make an organisation much less attractive to candidates.  Interviews are commonly used during the hiring process but without a structured and thought-out process, they can be prone to bias. Here are some potential drawbacks to watch out for during the interview process:

• Self-fulfilling prophecy effect - Interviewers may ask questions designed to confirm initial impressions of candidates gained in the earlier stages of the recruitment process.

• Stereotyping effect - Interviewers sometimes assume that particular characteristics are typical of members of a particular group. In the case of protected characteristics, decisions made on this basis are often illegal. 

• Halo and horns effect - Once interviewers rate candidates as ‘good’ or ‘bad’ in some aspects, they often replicate this judgement across the board, reaching unbalanced decisions.

• Similar-to-me effect - Interviewers sometimes give preference to candidates they perceive as having a similar background, career history, personality or attitudes to themselves.

To avoid potentially biased decision-making, employers should commit to a structured process. This includes developing criteria required to fulfil the job so that interviewers can assess candidates objectively and developing an agreed set of interview questions that are directly related to performance on the job.