Yes, I’m Italian and I’m drinking cappuccino in the afternoon! ?? breaking stereotypes in recruitment

Tell me, how many times have you heard this story? Italians don't drink cappuccino after 10 in the morning, you won't find a bar in Italy that prepares you a cappuccino in the afternoon and so on....Sometimes, it’s those little stereotypes that can make us smile, but in the world of talent acquisition, stereotypes and biases can have serious implications. In recruitment, these biases often lead to missed opportunities and unfair evaluations.

In the same way that people might think Italians only drink cappuccino in the morning, recruiters and hiring managers often fall into the trap of unconscious biases. Whether it’s assumptions about a candidate’s capabilities based on their background, education, or even appearance, these biases can cloud our judgment and hinder the identification of the best talent.

I would like to present shortly typical biases in recruitment, then presenting some tips to help you to avoid them.

1. Affinity bias: means the tendency to favor candidates who share similarities with ourselves;
2. Confirmation bias: seeking out information that confirms pre-existing beliefs or stereotypes;
3. Halo effect: allowing one positive attribute to overshadow other, potentially negative, traits;
4. Horns effect: the opposite of the halo effect, where one negative trait biases the whole evaluation.

So, how we can fight against these biases? Well it’s crucial to raise awareness and provide training in talent acquisition teams. Here are some best practices:

1. Structured interviews: try to develop standardized questions that focus on the skills and experiences relevant to the role. This minimizes the influence of personal biases and ensures a consistent evaluation for all candidates. You can then rank answers and compare candidates.
2. Diverse hiring panels: Include a diverse group of interviewers to bring varied perspectives and reduce the impact of individual biases. Minimum HR/TA + hiring manager and - depending on the role- some other stakeholders.
3. Blind recruitment: remove personal information such as names, photos, and other identifying details from resumes and applications during the initial screening process. Btw, is comply with the GDPR...and avoid questions that are forbidden by the law....
4. Bias training: implement regular training sessions to help hiring teams recognize and counteract their biases. Encourage open discussions about common stereotypes and their impacts on decision-making. It's happen more than often that biases are even not recognized as...biases.
5. Use of data and metrics: leverage data analytics to track hiring patterns and outcomes, ensuring decisions are based on objective criteria rather than subjective impressions. There are lot of IT/AI tools that can help. explore such possibilities & opportunities!

Please note, stereotypes can be fun to joke about, but they have no place in the professional sphere, especially in recruitment. As talent acquisition professionals, it’s our responsibility to ensure that we evaluate candidates based on their true potential and skills, not on preconceived notions. Let’s work together to create a more inclusive and fair recruitment process!!!

Renata Viana Mikhail Lvovskii Luana Elia Patryk Walczyński Kornelia Polomska Joanna Zawadzka DIKTON Horizon Consulting Alfio Mancani Agata Mierzwa Guidi Consulting Mario Moretti

#TalentAcquisition #Recruitment #BiasInHiring #InclusiveHiring #DiversityAndInclusion