Hiring Bias. You may think that the laws that have been established in the recent past would put an end to these biases. However, if you are a member of a discriminated minority, you probably have a different opinion. And rightfully so. Here’s why…
THE BYSTANDER EFFECT
The bystander effect is when multiple people witness an emergency, and nobody reaches out to get help because they assume that somebody else is doing so. What does this have to do with hiring bias. A similar practice to the bystander effect is happening in response to the laws that require companies to hire a certain percentage of women and people of color. Companies will not hire women or people of color because they believe that other companies need to hire them to fill their quota. If all companies are thinking this one can see how women and people of color are not being hired in accordance with laws that have been put in place.
THE IMPORTANCE OF EQUALITY IN HIRING
At Daily Work, we work with a large variety of clients to help them find jobs. Many of which are new to the way things are done in the United States, including being hired for a job. One of our interns said that when she lived in Somalia, people would get jobs because an uncle worked for a company and referred them. In the USA, getting work is much more complex. It’s challenging for those who are not native to the USA employment process and hiring biases can make things even more challenging.
Daily Work meets our job seekers where they are in the process of navigating the employment process in the USA and makes sure that they understand the differences in finding work here as well as what will be different when they have a job. Daily Work case managers assist job seekers in building resumes that pinpoint their strengths and help them to learn skills, such as computer skills, to enhance their employability. Many of the job seekers we assist are BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People Of Color) and may experience these hiring biases so we at Daily Work have a vested interest in eliminating biased practices.
WHAT CAN EMPLOYERS DO?
There are a few things employers can do during the hiring process to keep from engaging in unconscious hiring bias.
1.Use gender neutral words when writing the job description.
2.Advertise job openings on wider channels such as a variety of job search engines and social media channels so that a larger variety of candidates are reached..
3.When it comes to selecting people to interview, there are staggering statistics that show that white sounding names get far more interviews that individuals with non-white sounding names. To avoid this unconscious bias, remove names and other identifying factors when reading resumes.
4.Use a structured interview process.
5.Utilize a diverse hiring committee when interviewing candidates.
Please, ALWAYS speak up if you notice hiring bias happening in your place of work. Often, people won’t change their ways, toxic or not, unless they are pressured to do so by others. At Daily Work we want as level a hiring playing field as possible for our job seekers and others.
