Unbiased job interviews: how do we do it?

For everyone who’s not in HR, the hiring process may look like some kind of a mystery. A couple of meetings, maybe a task, and then boom —? you’re either in or out. And sometimes, you’re not entirely sure why or how the decision was made. That’s why we want to shed some light on job interviews here at Surfshark.

First, let’s look at the beliefs part of the hiring process. Studies show that now more than ever, company values play a huge part in people's decisions when looking for a job. They want to share similar beliefs and principles with the organization they will work at.?

Companies also choose people that match their values. A values-based hiring process creates a more fulfilling work environment and ensures that employees are working towards a common goal. Plus, it helps the company maintain unbiased hiring practices and hire individuals who will thrive in their created environment.

So, what are our values, you might ask??

Well, at Surfshark, we believe in growing together, staying humble, challenging the status quo, owning what we do, choosing kindness, and being transparent Sharks. These values might seem simple, but they guide every decision we make, from product development to our hiring process.

“The success of a company is not achieved by one person alone. It is a collective team effort. Therefore, it is crucial to have common values and goals among employees to create a cohesive and productive organization,” — says our Head of HR, Goda Pakaln? .?

Is it possible to stay completely unbiased??

Our Recruitment Team Lead Beatrice Leikaite says everyone is more or less biased, but HR's role requires to stay as objective as possible, meaning there is no “I liked this person's vibe” argument while hiring.?

"It's about evaluating a person's past behavior, individual skills, and values. We look for patterns in past behaviors to ensure we do not jump to a conclusion too quickly. My recommendation for hiring managers is to always remember that we are all biased to begin with. You need to acknowledge that before you can change your approach.

Bias can prevent hiring people with diverse backgrounds. But for a team to be successful, it’s vital to have employees with different abilities, approaches, and experiences. If we were all the same, Surfshark wouldn’t be so successful.”

That's why we use a competency-based interview approach and the STAR method to find the best fit.

What’s STAR?

Let's dive deeper into what it means. Well, a competency-based interview is all about assessing a candidate's skills, knowledge, and experience with specific job requirements in mind rather than asking generic questions that anyone can answer. We focus on the essential competencies that would help them be successful in the role. It allows us to understand each candidate's abilities and potential better.

How do we figure that out? By using the STAR method. STAR stands for Situation, Task, Action, and Result.

"It's not enough to talk about previous experiences or ask hypothetical questions like ‘what would you do in that situation.’ Hypothetical questions do not allow us to see the actual past behavior. STAR lets us analyze previous situations and how candidates acted in them. Of course, during a 1-hour call, it's impossible to get to know the person well, so the STAR method helps us to see the patterns and check whether this person is a fit for our organization,” — says Beatri??.

Why do we do all of this??

Let’s state the obvious: hiring great people is crucial to the success of our company. Right from the start, we took hiring seriously — like, really seriously. We cleared our whys, made a plan that helps us hire diverse yet common goal-driven people, and we stuck to it.

Now we're proud to say that we've got one heck of a team! Our folks are in it for the long run, and we've got the numbers to prove it: our team turnover is low, and we see inside growth in people's careers. This not only benefits our company but also helps to create a more equitable and inclusive job market for everyone.