Recognizing and Minimizing Hiring Bias With Background Checks
Despite advances in equitable hiring practices over the past several years, unconscious biases still cloud otherwise impartial judgment. Unconscious biases—the automatic, unintentional, learned stereotypes we use to form impressions of new people and environments—are not always benign. However, everyone has them and everyone can learn to recognize them. We’re here to help you recognize and reduce hiring bias at your company.
First impressions are important in the hiring process, but unconscious biases can incorrectly shape those initial meetings by recognizing your biases and taking measures to promote neutrality in your hiring, you can create an equitable system that ensures you’ll find the best candidate. Background checks and smart hiring practices are effective ways to minimize biases. Let’s dive into a few screening methods you can implement to make your hiring unbiased and successful:
Partner With a Screening Agency
Sometimes it can be tricky to decipher what the information in a background report means. Your interpretation of a report might not be completely correct, leaving you with an impression of a candidate that doesn’t reflect who they are.
Professional background check agencies have years of expertise to help you understand what background reports really mean. When you partner with a company like One Source, you get help interpreting reports and developing a consistent approach to all background checks. Working with professionals removes misinterpretation and error that could skew your view of a candidate and harm your hiring.
Thoroughly Write Job Descriptions
Clear and thorough job descriptions aren’t only helpful for attracting the best candidates, they allow your hiring managers to make choices based on facts instead of assumptions. Include a full list of skills, job expectations, professional background needs, and other elements of the position.
Be sure your description is clear of any words that could be associated with gender, race, age, group, or any other identifier. Run your description by your human resources team before you post the job to ensure it meets all expectations.
Customize Your Screening Scope
After you have a job description and employment policy in place, ensure you are screening the correct scope. The depth and width of the package you are screening with are two things to consider when creating your process.
How many years of names and addresses do you wish to search for? The Federal Government typically searches seven years worth, making it the industry standard, however, you can customize to five or even ten years.
How far back do you want to search in each location? Many jurisdictions allow you to search at a minimum of seven years from the final disposition. Other jurisdictions have information back indefinitely. Do you only want to see a certain scope? If so, work with your screening partner to customize your scope to fit your organization and industry.
At One Source, we want to help you make the best hiring decisions for your company. We’ll work with you to help you navigate background checks fairly and accurately. Contact One Source Client Relations team today to learn more about our screening services.
