Talent Acquisition:
The 10 Lessons I learned from evaluating, testing and selecting over 56,000 applicants in the last 10 years.
Lesson 4
INTRODUCTION
In this article, I will cover the second biggest mistake you definitely want to avoid when hiring people: Subjectivity. In fact, not doing your best to minimize subjectivity in the hiring process may lead your company to face legal trouble with the E.E.O.C. But the most damaging consequence of not optimizing objectivity in talent acquisition is, simply stated, a very low success rate in the process - hence, a lot of money, time and energy wasted.
THE SECOND BIGGEST MISTAKE IN HIRING: LACK OF OBJECTIVITY
All right, let’s get straight to this mistake you must learn how to avoid: lack of objectivity in the overall hiring process.
The worst would be hiring with your “guts feelings.” That is by far the worst application of subjectivity that you can find. In the recruitment world, we have a saying: “Subjectivity kills.” Subjectivity leads to difficulties in evaluating candidates against each other. It also leads to potential trouble with the EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission), as it opens the door to discrimination - even if not meant.
One of the first lines of investigations by the EEOC is: do you have a standard hiring procedure which optimizes objectivity while minimizing discrimination? Technically, it means that lack of a formal, standard procedure in the hiring process is the first indicator of potential violation of anti-discrimination laws. As a matter of fact, the first thing that the EEOC would request during an inspection is that you provide a copy of your standard hiring procedure as well as a copy of your standard hiring policy.
Failure to provide those documents guarantees to cost your company between $40,000 and $50,000 in legal fees, to comply with EEOC regulations and to avoid a lawsuit. So, the first liability of subjectivity in the hiring process is a legal one, which can cost you a lot of headaches and a lot of money.
The second liability of lacking objectivity in your hiring process is more technical, but it can be devastating, simply because of a higher rate of hire failures. The more subjective, the less effective and the more costly.
Where subjectivity rules
Here are some typical examples of subjectivity which can make your hiring procedure sketchy, ineffective… and legally dangerous :
- You don't like the candidate’s appearance
- You don't like the candidate’s accent
- Your “gut feelings” are telling you the candidate is not going to do well in your team
- You fall for the candidate’s amazing communication skills during the interview
- You are prejudiced because the candidates is your boss's friend
- You are very impressed by the candidates resume, so much so that you almost decided to hire them before the first interview
- You ask different questions to different candidates applying to the same position
- You are told by your management or your executive team that the candidate you just interviewed does not look they can fit in the group
- You don't have a standard, written hiring procedure
- You don't have a standard written hiring policy
- No job descriptions developed prior to starting a hiring campaign
- Lack of agreement among the executive team on the qualifications required for an open position
- Lack of coordination between recruiters and operational executives on the ideal profile
- You use testing tools on some candidates but not on all for the same position
Raising objectivity
You must FORMALIZE a list of evaluation standards, used by all individuals involved to analyze the interviewed candidate’s potential. Each must be able to measure the same things in order to minimize subjective factors, throughout the hiring decision.
Anyone involved in evaluating a candidate’s potential must understand AND apply these standards. Only then can an effective and objective selection be conducted. Here are some recommendations:
- Develop a standard hiring procedure that will need to be known and applied by all involved in any recruitment campaign
- Write a hiring policy that will be updated on a regular basis
- Minimize the subjectivity in the interview process by using standard evaluation criteria
- Require everybody involved to use those standard criteria
- Ask the same prepared questions to ALL applicants for each specific position
- Avoid any questions which could lead to discrimination
- Focus on the candidate’s potential, more than on their resume
- Use a methodical procedure which analyzes the same criteria on ALL candidates
- Refuse subjective opinions from colleagues on a candidate. Stick to the objective criteria
- Train all executives involved in hiring people – and be ready to provide proof of training in case of an EEOC inspection
- If using pre-hire assessments, ensure that they are used on ALL applicants
- Also, ensure that any test or assessment are NOT used to make hiring decisions by themselves but are part of a WHOLE standard hiring procedure.
Immutable Law
Subjectivity must be minimized in the hiring process. It is vital to be able to determine what measurable criteria should be used to judge if a candidate has (or does not have) the potential to achieve good results on a vacant position.
The No-Fail Hiring SystemTM developed by Hirebox contains immutable laws which help you objectively measure a candidate’s potential. Each law is handled with precise evaluation standards. Everyone is measuring the “same thing” with the same evaluation standards!
Visit www.thehiremaster.com and see how we can help you or your hiring manager optimize the full recruitment procedure, to guarantee (1) technical perfection in the evaluation process and (2) legal protection.
Best success!
Patrick Valtin,
CEO Hirebox
