Whether it be job posting sites, the language used throughout the advertisement, or the interview process, unconscious and conscious bias can have negative impacts on your organisation’s ability to recruit diverse employees.
Unconscious bias is when people switch to autopilot and allow their brains to automatically categorise and process information about people based on past experience and mental preconditioning. Depending on a variety of external and internal factors, the environment you grew up in, your education, your ability to recognise unconscious bias and the role the media play in conditioning our understanding of certain people, it can lead to sexism, racism, discrimination, and bullying. Unconscious bias differs from conscious bias in the way that conscious bias is where an individual is aware that their biases are influencing them and their decisions in an unfair way and they allow it to happen.
There are many ways in which we can help reduce bias in the recruitment process.
Job Ads
– Utilise gender-neutral and inclusive language e.g tradespeople rather than tradesmen.
– Use diverse imagery where applicable, if diverse applicants can see diversity in the organisation, they’re more likely to apply.
Job Sites
Advertise your vacancies on culturally diverse platforms such as Tradeswomen Australia’s job’s board or Indigenous Employment Australia, rather than just sites such as SEEK and Indeed.
Interview Process
– Remove identifying information from the Resumes to ensure applicants are judged based solely on their experience and qualifications.
– Have diverse people involved in the interview process so any assessment of applicants is from people with varying experiences and backgrounds, therefore allowing for different perspectives.
If you would like more information on how you can diversify your recruitment processes, please get in touch with us via our Contact Us form.
