What is perception bias?
An unconscious bias is our subconscious mind's pre-existing attitude, belief, or assumption. We are all victims of unconscious biases since we accumulate knowledge over time and utilise it as a shortcut to make judgments and reach conclusions faster. Perspective bias is a sort of unconscious prejudice in which our perception is warped due to erroneous and simplified preconceptions about a group to which a person "belongs." This includes age, gender, and attractiveness prejudices or stereotypes. These attitudes, ideas, or prejudices limit our capacity to make intelligent judgments.
What are the implications of perception bias?
There are various implications of perception bias. First, you miss out on the chance to connect with, speak with, and learn from someone who may have a lot to give. You've missed out on that chance and connection because you judged too hastily, based on something that was probably relatively shallow. Worse than this missed chance, you've probably made the victim of the scenario feel bad. Perception bias persists, resulting in a boring, repetitive workforce that is unsatisfied and disengaged. Social isolation and prejudice are undesirable at work and unacceptable elsewhere. Give everyone a chance without judging them on their appearance.
Avoid perception bias in your company.
Remove personal information from applications
Removing all identifying information from job applications is one technique to minimise perception bias. This includes having a person assist you with removing the person's name, address, educational institution, and sometimes even the names of previous employers. When this identifying information is deleted, you will be able to focus on the candidate's experience and skills rather than readily stereotyped and assessed information. If a person has the necessary abilities and competencies, their age, gender, financial background, and social standing should not be a decisive factor in their hiring.
Request a work sample
If glancing at a résumé makes it challenging to evaluate someone's degree of expertise and suitability for the firm, consider a more effective assessment method. You can request a work sample from potential workers, a sample assignment or a project to perform. The work should be important to the post for which you are recruiting so that you can ask candidates to describe precisely what they would accomplish if they were in the position. Better still, have them execute it for you to see their hands-on abilities.
Make use of sample-style questions
Using sample-style questions is one method to avoid participating in perception bias when skimming through resumes. Sample-style questions focus on how job prospects would work through something. Observing a person's thought process is a fantastic approach to determining how effective they would be in a particular position. Sample-style questions may contain a work sample or a case study they must complete in a specific time. Better still, if you've identified a problem or issue that the team is dealing with, asking these questions and receiving the candidate's opinion is an excellent chance to receive an outside perspective on how to solve it.
Create a scoring system
Developing a set of scoring criteria for job prospects is another excellent technique to eliminate perception bias. Whether you're asking interview questions or requiring candidates to submit a work sample, you should consider how you'll properly rate them. To ensure fair grading, pre-set and objective standards must be used. A simple numerical scale, for example, is a quick method to total each person's score at the end of the interview process. Rather than choosing the person you like most, hire the person best suited for the position.
Deconstruct your preconceived notions
Preconceived conceptions and prejudices might obstruct the identification and employment of new talent. You must be self-aware to examine your preconceptions. As you become aware of your judgments, attitudes, and ideas about someone, thoroughly evaluate yourself by attempting to ascertain how properly you've formed decisions about that individual. Think beyond the box to establish a corporate culture that values diversity, innovation, and imagination. An open mentality will attract various types of talent, allowing you to diversify the competencies possessed by your team. Choose to be open-minded to question the current quo.
