By using current case studies and advanced techniques, Omni’s EDI training programmes enable leadership teams to foster an inclusive environment within the workplace helping to retain and develop diverse talent.
Omni’s Head of Management Training, Suzanne Browne, recently took part in a Hatching Ideas webinar that explored the role of unconscious bias in recruitment and talent attraction from hiring managers and what can be done to address and eliminate it. Here, Suzanne covers some of the key takeaways and learnings from the discussion.
Omni’s Resourcing and Talent Planning Survey 2020, produced in partnership with the CIPD, revealed that organisations are casting the net wider in a bid to secure talent. Diversity is key to this, with 41% stating they have recruited a more diverse workforce over the last 12 months compared with the previous year. While only 52% have a formal D&I strategy in place, most are taking some action to recruit diverse candidates. A large part of this is recognising and reducing unconscious bias in recruitment, which businesses are becoming more attuned to. While bias permeates every stage of the employee lifecycle, from attraction to progression and retention, the focus for organisations looking to broaden their talent pools must start with the hiring process.
Where’s the bias?
In short, the recruitment process is full of bias, so let’s break it down.
Status quo bias means a reluctance to change. It comes into play in recruitment when hiring managers and recruiters opt for candidates who are similar to the types of people already working in the organisation or tailor a job description based on the skills and attributes of the last person in the role.
Mitigating this bias
At this stage of the recruitment process, we are likely to see source bias, which is the tendency to add greater weight to information from a source that we are familiar with. Source bias goes hand-in-hand with affinity bias which sees managers and recruiters hiring people who are like them. The difficulty comes when this familiarity leads to a candidate progressing without challenge or scrutiny.
Mitigating this bias
Confirmation bias can come into effect when shortlisting, which is a tendency to look for or interpret information that confirms existing thoughts and beliefs while ignoring those that contradict this view. Shortlisting also sees the contrasting effect, whereby CVs and applications are compared to one another rather than the actual criteria on the job spec.
Mitigating this bias
The halo effect can come into play at the interview stage, which sees the hirer let one attractive attribute in a candidate colour their view of the candidate’s overall skills and competencies. In short, they become fixated on the one box that a candidate ticks.
Attribution error can also occur, which is a tendency to relate behaviours to personality rather than the situation the person might be in. In recruitment, it can lead to employers hiring someone based on factors that are not linked to their skills, but more often, it means dismissing someone based on a perceived negative personality trait. For example, if someone is late to an interview, the assumption may be that they are tardy, without considering the variety of external factors that might have played a part.
Mitigating this bias
It’s clear that, when it comes to bias in the recruitment process, a lot can go wrong in the early stages that will impact an organisation’s employee lifecycle. Omni’s Recruitment Effectiveness Assessment (REA) was designed to help businesses develop truly inclusive resourcing strategies that are aligned to business success and mitigate unconscious bias in recruitment and talent attraction. Using an objective scoring system, the REA helps organisations identify which areas of their talent acquisition strategy require attention and the steps they need to take to ensure future success.
Discover more about our Recruitment Training here. Visit the Hatching Ideas website to request the full webinar recording featuring Suzanne Browne.
Omni’s training teaches you how to expand candidate attraction strategies to reach under-represented groups. This broadens the talent pool and enhances diversity, enriching the organisation with varied perspectives and experiences.
EDI (Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion) Training for Leadership Teams equips leaders with the knowledge and skills to foster an inclusive environment within the workplace. This training is crucial for retaining and developing diverse talent, as well as embedding successful inclusive practices throughout the organisation.
The benefits of EDI Training for Leadership Teams include enhanced employee engagement by equipping leaders with skills to address bias and eradicate discriminatory behavior, improved employee retention by creating a sense of belonging, better decision-making through diverse perspectives, and sustainable cultural change by demonstrating a top-down commitment to inclusivity.
Omni develops bespoke EDI training programs tailored to each organisation’s specific needs, utilising current case studies and advanced techniques. With their expertise, Omni can provide customised training solutions to meet the unique requirements of leadership teams in fostering an inclusive workplace culture.
Omni offers EDI training in various formats, including face-to-face sessions, live virtual workshops, and eLearning modules. The training can be tailored to meet your business objectives, whether you need a single module or a comprehensive training package.
We provide guidance on removing bias and minimising adverse impact within your recruiting process so you can attract and select more diverse talent, bringing unique skills and insight to your organisation. We work closely with you to foster an inclusive recruitment culture, ensuring that your organisation authentically reflects the diversity of talent in the market.