Utility Leader | Transforming Your Mindset to Help Lead Others | Helping Develop Tomorrow's Leaders | Host of the RK Leadership Podcast
Things that make you go hmmmm... As I've discussed this topic during a few of my latest podcasts I wanted to share a thought I had. I still believe that both bias and unconscious bias exists in the hiring practice. I've been having this thought in my head and wanted to share it and get your feedback. What if interviews were conducted like the Netflix show "Love is Blind?" For those who don't know, the concept is to put people in separate rooms with a wall between them so that they pick a partner without seeing how they look like. What if interviews were conducted like this? Do you believe the outcome would be different? Do you believe the best candidate would get the job? What if the candidate didn't look like the person you assumed they would look like? Would that change anything? #biases #biasawareness #leadership #unconsciousbias #interviews
As a hiring manager I don't think this would be helpful in informing my final decision. I want to be able to see body language and facial expression when conversing with someone, as it's a big part of the role I'm hiring for. I understand the concept you're going for, but I think it is very dependant on the industry and role. What I do think would be helpful is to deidentify the resumes in the first instance, so you don't know the gender, ethnicity etc.
Alain Hyppolite
5mo
Radical! Even before we get to the interview stage, there are already well documented biases in how we perceive names and their origin. Removing all of those elements would for sure change the game.
The outcomes will totally be different, Rob Kamranpoor P.Eng, MBA, LL.M ✭ When we choose people according to their attitude, mindset and believe, against anything else We choose their abilities which empowers them and fosters a positive team culture.
Jacklyne Rea
5mo
This is such an intriguing idea! I've often pondered about hiring practices and how traditional interviews may not always showcase true skills and talent effectively. A more holistic approach to the hiring process sounds like a fantastic idea. Nerves can sometimes hinder skilled individuals from shining in interviews.
Lola Bailey
5mo
My gut feeling is yes, the outcome would be different. However, most of our communication is nonverbal so you'd miss an awful lot if you couldn't see the candidate Rob Kamranpoor P.Eng, MBA, LL.M ✭. Thought provoking!
Mats Gerschman
5mo
Interesting idea, but body language and expressions are really important. However, it is proven that ageism, looks, ethnicity etc are all playing into hiring, and it is very much dependent on the hiring manager/s. As resume screening is now left to AI and word recognition, it is unfortunate that many good candidates never reach the hiring manager. Various practical tests have also shown that exactly the same backgrounds in resumes don’t always yield the same results. There was a TV program years ago that showed that the tall good-looking person won over the shorter person. When asking the hiring manager he/she could not explain their choice, despite them showing the same backgrounds. But subconsciously they obviously went for the tall person. Extensive training and education of hiring managers is crucial. Multiple levels of interviewing. However, the “chemistry” between the manager, the team and the future employee is crucial. Many of the large companies are now using analytical tools to evaluate the success of hiring and building new routines based on that.
Chief Warrant Officer of the U.S. Army Cyber Branch | MBA, PMP, SPC Certified | Coaching High Performers to Thrive Authentically
5moRob Kamranpoor P.Eng, MBA, LL.M ✭I appreciate your idea, yet, like Lola Bailey, I believe that nonverbal cues often reveal more than we intend, making it challenging to entirely eliminate bias, though it’s certainly possible to minimize it. Several years ago, the Army embarked on a similar initiative with our promotion review boards to reduce bias. Since our promotion selection is based on military files without face-to-face interviews, we attempted to anonymize the process by removing all references to gender and military photos from the records. While this strategy did mitigate some bias, the inevitability of names and existing knowledge about individuals meant that we couldn’t completely eradicate it. Nonetheless, it was a step towards creating a more equitable evaluation process.