Research: To Reduce Gender Bias in Hiring, Make Your Shortlist Longer
February 16, 2021
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Summary.
Progress toward gender equity in certain industries and in leadership roles has been gradual. Next time you make an informal shortlist, particularly for a leadership position or a job in a male-dominated role, take some extra time to extend your initial list. The authors’ research shows that adding a few more candidates can increase the gender diversity of your shortlist and reduce the odds that you’ll dismiss qualified female candidates simply because male candidates come to mind first. This intervention is one way to make the informal recruitment process less prone to both systemic and implicit bias.It’s no secret that certain industries are dominated by men, especially in top leadership positions. A classic example is the tech industry, where only 10% of executive-level roles were held by women in 2020. Although organizations acknowledge gender diversity issues and express intentions to do better, progress toward gender equity has been incremental at best.