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No matter how open-minded we try to be, unconscious bias may be clouding our judgement. We may unknowingly gravitate toward people we are most familiar with, especially when it comes to gender, socioeconomic background, appearance, and even accents.

While these elements might make us feel more comfortable, they have nothing to do with how well a person will perform a job. Hiring biases could result in a homogeneous workplace, and this can hinder a company’s creative output. It also affects diversity and inclusion (DEI) efforts. Diversity in the workplace widens the talent pool and encourages new perspectives and fresh ideas.

Here are five best practices to ensure your interviews are fair, objective, and inclusive.

Rewrite the job description

Bias can interfere in the very first steps of the recruitment process if you are not prudent about the words you use in your job descriptions. Be careful about using gendered wording like “salesman” instead of “sales people,” and look out for adjectives like ‘youthful’ or that can turn off certain people from applying to the job. The job description should define the role itself, not the person filling it.

Assess candidates with objective assignments

The first screening of candidates should be more objective, and the best way to do this is through skill-based assessments. It’s helpful to create standardized skill evaluations for the job in question and send the same assessment to every candidate. This not only allows candidates to showcase their abilities but also helps you make informed decisions when selecting qualified candidates.

���²�����վ Recruit’s assessment feature can help you send assignments to candidates and automatically rank them based on their answers.

Script the interview

Unstructured face-to-face interviews can quickly turn into casual conversations between the interviewer and interviewee. This could lead you to rely on likability and gut feelings when considering candidates.

You can keep your interviews on track by determining questions ahead of time. When you ask the same questions to every candidate, it levels the playing field and helps you focus on factors that directly impact performance.

To standardize your process, you’ll need to create a list of open-ended interview questions. Stick to the script for all candidates and take notes of their responses during the interview. This way, you’ll make decisions based on candidates’ experiences and qualifications instead of presentation skills and first impressions.

Use a scorecard

It’s important to benchmark candidates by defining the ideal qualifications for each role. During the evaluation process, use numeric values to rate interviewees, and make sure that all interviewers use the same metrics. It is also crucial that each interviewer can justify their ratings with concrete data.

With ���²�����վ Recruit, you can rank candidates right after the interview and conveniently access all interview notes. Find out more about ���²�����վ Recruit’s interview feedback feature.

Collaborate with a diverse recruitment team

Diverse interview panels allow recruiters to consider different perspectives during the hiring process. By collaborating with team members from various cultural, economic, and educational backgrounds, you can more effectively avoid unconscious biases. Elevate your hiring practices

A conscientious, well-documented hiring process can help your organization reduce hiring bias. With an reliable applicant tracking system, it’s easy to filter and select candidates based on their relevant qualifications.