How do you address unconscious bias in the hiring and promotion processes?

1 Define clear criteria

Before you start the hiring or promotion process, you should define the specific and measurable criteria that you will use to evaluate the candidates. These criteria should be based on the essential skills, qualifications, and competencies that are required for the role, and not on subjective or irrelevant factors, such as appearance, personality, or background. You should also communicate these criteria to all the stakeholders involved in the process, such as hiring managers, recruiters, or panel members, and ensure that they apply them consistently and objectively.

2 Use structured interviews

Structured interviews are a way of standardizing the interview process by asking the same set of questions to each candidate, in the same order and format, and using the same scoring system to rate their responses. Structured interviews can help you avoid unconscious bias by focusing on the relevant and job-related information that the candidates provide, rather than on their personal characteristics or impressions. You can also use behavioral or situational questions that ask the candidates to describe how they handled specific scenarios or challenges in their previous or current roles, which can provide more evidence of their skills and abilities.

3 Implement blind screening

Blind screening is a technique that involves removing or hiding any information from the candidates' resumes, applications, or tests that could trigger unconscious bias, such as their names, genders, ages, ethnicities, or educational backgrounds. Blind screening can help you reduce the influence of stereotypes or assumptions that you may have about certain groups of people, and focus on their relevant qualifications and achievements. You can use software tools or third-party services to anonymize the candidates' data, or assign codes or numbers to each candidate.

4 Seek diverse perspectives

Another way to address unconscious bias in the hiring and promotion processes is to seek diverse perspectives from different people who are involved in the decision-making. You can form a diverse and inclusive hiring or promotion committee that represents different backgrounds, experiences, and viewpoints, and ensure that each member has an equal voice and influence. You can also solicit feedback from other employees who interacted with the candidates, such as mentors, peers, or subordinates, and consider their opinions and observations. Seeking diverse perspectives can help you challenge your own biases and assumptions, and gain a more comprehensive and balanced view of the candidates.

5 Provide training and awareness

Finally, you can address unconscious bias in the hiring and promotion processes by providing training and awareness to yourself and others who are involved in the process. You can participate in workshops, webinars, or online courses that teach you how to recognize and overcome your own unconscious biases, and how to apply best practices and tools to reduce their impact. You can also create a culture of openness and accountability, where you encourage yourself and others to share your experiences, perspectives, and feedback, and to acknowledge and correct any mistakes or biases that may occur.