Uncovering Unconscious Biases in The Hiring Process

One way to reduce bias in your hiring process is to be cautious of the word choices in your job posting. The goal of a position statement is to attract a wide range of candidates to apply.  However, if your posting contains more masculine language, there’s a greater chance of discouraging females from applying.  For instance, instead of saying that you seek someone with “strong” skills in a specific domain, try saying “extensive” skills.  The next step is to think carefully about the word choice you use to talk about candidates.  For example, instead of referring to someone as “lovely,” what about “pleasant” or simply “nice?”  Consider tools like a gender decoder to help develop a neutral posting, and work with your team to develop a consistent set of gender-neutral descriptors.  Above all else, accept feedback from colleagues and stay committed to reducing your personal biases.