Dealing with unconscious bias in recruiting and talent management

Unconscious bias, also called unconscious bias, cognitive bias, or implicit bias unconscious bias are prejudices that we unconsciously have towards certain groups or people.

These biases can influence our thoughts and actions, even if we are not aware of them. In the context of Recruitment and talent management, unconscious bias can lead to certain groups of applicants being disadvantaged and therefore valuable Talents get lost. It is therefore important to address this issue and take steps to avoid unconscious bias.

A list full of cognitive distortions / Source: wikipedia.de

Causes of unconscious bias

There are several causes of unconscious bias, including:

• Stereotypes: Stereotypes are simplified and often false ideas about certain groups of people. They can cause us to unconsciously favor or disadvantage certain groups of applicants.
• Similarity effect: The similarity effect states that we like people who are similar to us more and evaluate them more positively than people who are dissimilar to us. This can lead us to unconsciously prefer applicants who are similar to us.
• Confirmation error: Confirmation bias states that we tend to seek out and interpret information that confirms our existing beliefs and biases. This can lead us to unconsciously prefer applicants who match our prejudices.
• Group membership: We tend to evaluate people who belong to our group more positively than people who do not belong to our group. This can lead us to unconsciously prefer applicants who belong to our group.

Effects of unconscious bias

Unconscious bias can have a variety of effects, including:

• Distorted perception of applicants: Unconscious bias can cause us to misjudge applicants and incorrectly evaluate their skills and qualifications.
• Discrimination against certain groups: Unconscious bias can lead to certain groups of applicants being disadvantaged, for example because of their gender, ethnic origin or age.
• Loss of talent: When we disadvantage certain groups of applicants due to unconscious bias, we can be valuable Talents lose and thus impair the performance of our company.

Measures to avoid unconscious bias

To avoid unconscious bias, several measures can be taken, including:

• Training and awareness raising: Through training and awareness-raising measures, employees can be made aware of the issue of unconscious bias and learn how to avoid it.
• Standardized selection procedures: Unconscious bias can be minimized through standardized selection procedures, e.g. structured interviews or standardized tests.
• Anonymized application process: Anonymous application processes can help ensure that applicants are assessed regardless of their gender, ethnic origin or age.
• Set diversity goals: By setting diversity goals, companies can ensure they have a diverse workforce and minimize unconscious bias.

Integration of diversity in talent management

To promote a diverse workforce, it is important Diversity integrate into talent management. Various measures can be taken to achieve this, including:

• See diversity as an opportunity: Companies should see diversity as an opportunity and actively look for applicants who bring a different perspective and experience.
• Measures to promote diversity: Companies can take various measures to promote diversity, e.g. targeted recruiting measures, mentoring programs or diversity training.
• Monitoring and evaluation: Companies should regularly check whether their measures to promote Diversity are successful and make adjustments if necessary.

Summary

Unconscious bias can result in certain groups of applicants being disadvantaged and valuable talent being lost. It is therefore important to address this issue and take steps to avoid unconscious bias. Various measures can be taken for this purpose, such as training and awareness-raising measures, standardized selection procedures or anonymized application procedures. To promote a diverse workforce, companies should integrate diversity into talent management and take targeted measures to promote diversity.