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Not sure how your implicit bias is playing out in your hiring processes? Here are 2 ways to check your own judgments.
Cover the names of candidates on their applications. What’s in a name? You may learn (or assume you’re learning) critical pieces of a person’s identity based on their name. You may first assume gender or race, then ethnicity and nationality. And if a name is the first piece of information you’re taking in about a candidate—after all it’s always at the top of a resume—then you begin to read their entire application through the lens of “this candidate is a black man,” or “this candidate is a hispanic woman,” or “this candidate is Muslim.” None of that is relevant to the job at hand but it suddenly—and without intentional thought—becomes front and center.
Cover the addresses of candidates on their applications. If you live in a place where neighborhoods are separated racially or ethnically, an address can say a lot. They can also reveal socioeconomic status which has absolutely nothing to do with the qualifications for the job. With a fancy address, some may assume the candidate has means, professionalism, and maybe even talent. With an address from an area of town with a lower average income, some may associate the candidate with unprofessionalism, drama, and maybe even desperation.
Simply put a post-it over the names and address of candidates’ applications. You’d be surprised how not having those pieces of information will help you focus appropriately on the candidate’s education and experience.