People from all backgrounds have certain biases, perhaps it is much more convenient to mass individuals from certain ethnic backgrounds into one category. Instead, taking time out to remove hidden and unconscious prejudices.  And when people fail to put aside their biases, especially in the Human Resources department,  it only undermines the success of the company.

You may think you have no biases, but you might be wrong.  Here are some examples of unconscious recruitment bias.

  • Accent: Let’s assume a person is a new immigrant  and has a heavy accent unlike the other candidates. Although the accent does not impede their communication, but you are still not satisfied.  “They will not fit in”.
  • Communication: During the interview you tell yourself that this candidate speaks English well. This clearly indicates that a person from a certain ethnic background or specific group are not well educated or communicate effectively. Or that they might not be as productive.
  • Bias – screening.  Scanning resumes with ethnic names such as Chu or Singh. Certain ethnic names  reflect race, ethnicity or religion can inadvertently influence the chances of someone getting an interview. Various studies in  the Canadian universities have highlighted a troubling scenario where the Chinese and East Indians applicants  have a 39 per cent less chance of getting a call back for an interview comparing to Anglo Saxon  names such as John, Sarah, etc.
  • Confusion: An organization  just wants to hire people from ethnic backgrounds to reflect diversity. Important to hire qualified candidates instead filling quotas. Furthermore, it would be better to educate all staff members on the changing workforce demographics, and emphasized that diverse talent will assist the organization to be more productive and profitable.