Estimated Reading Time: 0
Companies in today's competitive job market recognize the importance of creating diverse and inclusive workplaces. However, bias in the hiring process can hinder progress toward these goals.
Therefore, forward-thinking organizations are turning to innovative AI solutions to overcome this challenge and help remove bias from the hiring process, ensuring fair and unbiased evaluations of all candidates while reducing time-to-hire.
Removing Human Bias from the Hiring Process
Companies cannot handle the hiring process manually due to the many applicants applying for one role. So, recruiters often limit their review of the applicant pool to the 10% to 20% they think will show the most promise: Ivy League campus candidates, passive candidates from competitors of the companies seeking to fill positions, or employee-referral programs.
In fact, numerous studies (from the National Bureau of Economic Research, Pew Research Center, and others) have shown the manual hiring process leads to significant unconscious bias against women, minorities, and older workers.
AI presents unique abilities to automate repetitive processes and ensure that each candidate is evaluated fairly, holistically, and consistently, focusing on the skills and abilities crucial for a specific role.
One of the significant advantages AI brings to hiring is its ability to remove human bias from the assessment process. Unconscious biases, such as those related to gender, race, or background, can inadvertently influence hiring decisions. By removing subjective judgments and biases, companies can ensure that each candidate is assessed based on their true potential and suitability for the position, thereby organically promoting diversity and inclusion and quickly identifying best-fit candidates.
Minimizing opportunities for human bias and instead relying on objective data provides a more level playing field for all candidates. This holistic, unbiased approach ensures that underrepresented groups have an equal opportunity to showcase their abilities, leading to a more diverse and inclusive workforce.
Harvard Business Review noted that AI tools should be designed to be audited, so that any bias found in them can be removed. An AI audit should function just like the safety testing of a new car before someone drives it. If standards are not met, the technology must be fixed before it is allowed into production.
When considering AI in a hiring context, adopting a white box AI approach that supports transparency, explainability and accountability is all the more critical.
Adapting to Changing Legal Landscape
With legislation related to bias in hiring becoming increasingly prevalent, companies must be proactive in ensuring compliance and fair practices. Following the recent bias law enacted in New York enacted in New York, similar legislation will likely continue to emerge in other states.
The New York law expressly prohibits using automated employment decision tools (AEDTs) to screen candidates and employees within New York City unless specific bias audit and notice requirements are met.
Additionally, the Supreme Court ruling striking down affirmative action in university admissions will likely prompt similar legislation affecting hiring that will force organizations to take a more holistic approach to candidate assessment in order to continue to foster diverse workplaces.
Building a diverse and inclusive workforce is no longer just a matter of good practice; it is essential for the success and growth of organizations.
Talent Select AI empowers companies to reduce bias in hiring by removing subjective judgments from the assessment process. By ensuring fair and holistic evaluations, removing human biases, and embracing data-driven decision-making, companies can unlock the potential of a diverse talent pool and quickly identify and hire best-fit candidates to create a thriving workplace where everyone has an equal opportunity to succeed.
Michael Campion, Ph.D., Herman C. Krannert, Distinguished Professor of Management, believes that Talent Select AI can help promote fair, unbiased hiring in at least three ways.
“First, the algorithms can have no subjectivity or unconscious bias. Second, the method of identifying skills and abilities from candidates’ narrative information means that we may be able to identify [high-quality] candidates who do not have the classic background in terms of the jobs and the education that has characterized employees hired in the past by the organization,” Campion said in a recent Talent Select AI interview.
“And third, because [Talent Select AI] evaluates existing information that the candidate submits and does not require them to complete a new assessment, they avoid the test anxiety and the stereotype threat that might be possible with other types of assessments.”
With Talent Select AI, organizations can take a data-driven approach to removing bias from the hiring process, so they can quickly identify best-fit candidates while also fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace and culture.
Remember, diversity is no longer just a goal – it is truly a competitive advantage.
Ready to revolutionize your hiring process to build a more inclusive and prosperous organization?
Talent Select AI is committed to driving diversity and inclusion through unbiased hiring practices. Contact us today to see how Talent Select AI can transform your hiring process and help you build a more robust, diverse workforce.
