• Understand how to choose the best candidate for a job
• Understand how to offer a job to the selected candidates

Selecting an Applicant

When reviewing the final list of candidates, it’s important to be aware of the potential for perception errors on the part of both the interviewer and the candidate. It is the interviewer’s responsibility to make sure a candidate understands the position, culture, and operating dynamics.

Bias in the Selection Process

Implicit or unconscious bias can influence the selection process. Implicit bias refers to the unconscious attitudes, beliefs, stereotypes, or prejudices that individuals hold towards certain groups of people, which can influence their judgments and behaviors in subtle and unintentional ways. These biases can influence us without conscious awareness and can impact decision-making processes, including hiring, promotions, and interactions with others. Recognizing and addressing implicit bias is important for promoting fairness in the selection process.

Research at Yale found that both male and female scientists rated female student scientist applicants significantly lower than the male candidates in competence, hireability, and whether the scientist would be willing to mentor the student. In this study, the résumé in both cases was the same; the only difference was the male or female name.^[1] The takeaway is that we all have internalized cultural stereotypes and need to cultivate an awareness of potential gender, ethnic, or other biases to avoid having those stereotypes distort our judgments.

Evaluation Effectiveness

Research also suggests that we overestimate our ability to evaluate others. A common mistake is judging candidates based on a first impression or “likeability.” 

Because the process can be complicated, it’s important to have very concrete reasons for choosing one candidate over another. For example, saying one candidate “fits” the team better than another is very subjective. A better option is to have a checklist of qualifications that can be evaluated objectively. If you can determine which candidate has stronger IT skills, more management experience, and important marketing knowledge, it will help you select an applicant based on relevant job criteria rather than subjective impressions.

Here are a few additional tips to improve evaluation effectiveness:

• Focus evaluations on the job criteria to avoid being distracted by superficial factors
• Seek candidate evaluation input from multiple people; compare notes and discuss observations
• Be aware of any attempts to cater to the interviewer interests and preferences or leverage common ground
• Be aware of forming conclusions—either favorable or unfavorable—based on factors that aren’t related to job performance, e.g., school attended, hobbies, GPA.
• Question assumptions about what factors (accomplishments and characteristics) correlate with employee success

Transparency about the Role and Organization

Discussion of how to select the best candidate also has to factor in the candidate’s perceptions and potential perception errors. Given that, the final action item is doing a reality check; that is, providing the candidate with a realistic job preview. Failing to do this is a common hiring error that B2B Staff Writer Sammi Caramela refers to as “lacking in transparency.” It’s important to clarify expectations. Sample questions include:

• What type of schedule are you interested in?
• Would you be available to work extra shifts?
• Do you have any classes or other part-time jobs or commitments that may affect your work availability?
• Are you willing to work nights, weekends, and the occasional overnight inventory shift if necessary?

Research cited in Fundamentals of Human Resource Management indicates that providing candidates with a realistic job preview before offering a job reduces turnover without impacting acceptance rates.

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