As an HR, there are situations when you have to decide between what works best for the company and what’s best for the employees. Sometimes, situations like deciding whether to fire an employee who’s close to you or not could heavily be affected by your bias.
Similarly, the choice not to promote a remote employee to a management position, simply because you assume they won’t grasp the “on-the-ground reality,” may also be clouded by bias. This is a common human behavior called “confirmation bias.” It could harm your company in many ways, but first, understand what it means.
What Is Confirmation Bias, and How Can It Harm the Company?
Anyone who has ever been a decision-maker has faced this. Confirmation bias involves seeking, favoring, and selectively using information that confirms one’s pre-existing beliefs about a certain issue. And, because it could lead to flawed decisions, this bias is considered to be a dangerous one.
According to Deloitte, 68% of employees said witnessing or experiencing bias harmed their productivity. Biases could come in while hiring candidates, managing conflicts, making decisions, during the appraisal process, and in almost every situation where your call will be the final word.
Let’s say you, as an HR, are reviewing resumes for a job opening. And, it so happens that you are selecting candidates from one particular college just because the past hiring from there has been good. This is confirmation bias, where your existing belief of candidates from this college being good has influenced your decision-making capabilities. You are probably missing out on a lot of good candidates from other colleges because of this bias.
Or, imagine your boss comes up with an idea, saying that it is “THE NEXT BIG THING”. They direct employees to conduct market research to look at its feasibility, keeping this thought in mind. This is where the confirmation bias comes into play as people assume the idea is brilliant right away, just because it came from the boss.
Avoiding Confirmation Bias as HR
Having an inclusive culture can help reduce bias that can emerge in daily interactions. 73% of employees feel comfortable to talk about bias in the workplace. Here are a few other things that you could do:
Being Objective
As an HR, your role is to be as objective as you can be in every situation. Don’t let your preconceived notions about someone or something play a role in your decision-making process. Let facts rule this process, not your gut instinct. Right from hiring a candidate to giving an appraisal to someone, or even while resolving a conflict, follow this process.
For example, while hiring, you can use the help of HRMS software like greytHR to filter out unwanted resumes and applicants. It’ll keep your hiring process limited to capability and qualification and not any personal thoughts.
You must be objective even when your decision doesn’t directly affect the outcome. Put yourself in a situation where you are conducting an employee engagement survey to get insights about the new work-from-home policy. If your questions are framed like, “So, do you think the new work-from-home policy is a good initiative?” you will most likely get positive responses because of its phrasing. But, if you frame it like, “Hey, what are your thoughts on the new work-from-home policy?” there is a good chance that you’ll get more insightful and varied answers.
Seek Diverse Perspectives
To negate confirmation bias, expose yourself to different viewpoints and perspectives that may be different from yours. Try observing, listening, and talking to different people from diverse backgrounds, experiences, and expertise. It could help you expand your horizons and accept new things and alternative solutions.
You can also try to talk to a contrarian, in your department or office, who will question everything that is being agreed upon. In a way, such people will play the devil’s advocate role. Another way to avoid being biased is by putting yourself in other’s shoes and actively looking for feedback.
Flip Sides
One of the best ways to deal with bias once you’ve recognized it is by using this trick called “Flip it to test it.” Here, you ask yourself, “Would I make the same decision if this person were somehow different.” For example, consider a conflict management situation where an employee you know personally and who is loved by most in the office faces a complaint. And, despite enough evidence, the employee denies the allegation.
And because of the bond you guys share, you may believe their word. Stop yourself right here and ask, “Would I come to the same conclusion if it had been someone who is not that known in the office?” And if you find that you’d have treated them in the same manner, voilà, there is no confirmation bias in play!
Ask the Right Questions
To ensure fairness while hiring, HRs should use consistent practices. Instead of favoring a particular candidate and throwing them a softball early on to confirm your bias, use a structured approach to evaluate all candidates objectively based on their skills and merit.
Ask questions requiring some effort and thought to understand their problem-solving and adaptability. Go for questions like, “Have you worked with someone whose approach differed from yours? How did you handle it?” Or, “What did you hate about your last job?” To confirm the claims candidates make about their experience, contact their references and use a scoring system to consistently assess their performance. These practices promote transparency, and fairness, and help identify the best talent for the role.
Summing Up
In order to avoid being proved wrong, many of us can go to limits to find evidence that proves us right. It’s difficult to overcome this kind of bias, be it in personal or professional life. But through the above methods, you can become more rational and lead your organization to greater heights.
FAQs
What Are the Risks of Ignoring Confirmation Bias in HR Processes?
There are many risks of ignoring confirmation bias, from poor hiring and reduced team performance to an increase in turnover and potential legal issues due to discrimination.
How Can HR Avoid Bias?
By being objective in their overall approach, HRs can avoid bias. Constantly questioning their perspective, looking for a new point of view on the same issue, and being open to change are some other ways HRs can avoid bias.
How Does Confirmation Bias Affect Hiring Decisions?
Confirmation bias can lead HR to favor candidates who fit their idea of the “perfect hire.” Many qualified candidates may get overlooked due to such biases, compromising diversity and inclusion in the workplace.
