Software Helps Remove Unconscious Bias in Hiring
In today’s workplace, many companies are focusing on diversity. While resumes provide potential employers with an idea about who a worker is, things such as gender, race, age, ethnic origins of a name and other significant factors can also come into play, often unconsciously. In a recent article appearing at Ozy.com there are new pieces of technology that HR professionals can make use of that can create hiring situations that are truly blind.
Ellen Pao, co-founder of Project Include, a consulting nonprofit based in the San Francisco Bay Area, says that, “some companies are starting to think about how they make diversity and inclusion part of their cultures.” This may mean that companies may need to create positions such as managers to oversee diversity and inclusion that would operate as a part of HR. Yet another solution may come on the form of using big data as a way to do performance reviews or even self-reviews which have shown a history of bias.
Other companies, such as Reddit, for example, have banned salary negotiations because women tend to be judged more harshly than their male counterparts when it comes to compensation. This was the case when Pao herself served at Reddit as interim CEO. Pao herself acknowledges that this may not work for every company and that diversity programs are not something that should be undertaken in a cookie cutter fashion.
Data can help solve some of the problems but it cannot do everything. There are still people who need to be involved in order to determine what the algorithm’s that are created actually mean and a company’s very culture can also have its own set of biases. Solutions, according to Pao, include connecting employees with similar experiences and identities within multinational companies. This serves to create empathy and broaden the diversity of the company overall.
Diversity in the work force has made a great deal of progress. Even so, there is still a very long way to go before here is true equality in the workforce overall. Human resource professionals can greatly contribute to making sure that those applying for a position at their company get an equal opportunity. Some HR professionals will make use of newer technologies in order to ensure greater diversity.
At EinsteinHR, we offer ways for you to not only hire the right person for the right job but also give ideas on how you promote your most capable workers from within based on their performance and aptitude.
We understand the challenges that small to medium sized companies face in finding the ideal candidate. A search takes both time and money for your organization. Whether you need to hire an employee or help manage and keep your top talent for your organization, we can help. Let us show you how. Call us today at 888-981-3622 (emc2) to find out more.
