The greatest threat to a robust interview process comes from having biases. And the number of biases have only grown in number. Earlier, there were biases such as racial or gender. Now with the advent of new terminologies biases have also been observed on the basis of socioeconomic status or even sexual orientation. However, among all this the recency bias is one such issue that does not get enough attention.
In this article, we will love deep into the definition of recency bias. How bad can it be for a company? And what are the best measures to counter recency biases? We explain.
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What is Recency bias?
Recent bias is a cognitive bias that happens when people make decisions based on recent memory, often forgetting the incidents that may have occurred earlier. In fact, it can be described as a memory bias where the person is tricked into thinking that a situation might be favorable or unfavorable.
A great example of recency bias is the NBA, where the Most Valuable Player and Rookie of the Year voting is heavily influenced by late-season performances. In fact, it is also widely seen in the NBA draft. During the 2011-12 season, the NBA saw an incredible season from New York Knicks Jeremy Lin, which is now described as ‘Linsanity.’ In fact, his performances were so great that people expected him to become the next great superstar. However, he failed to reach those heights again, but that short burst of performance earned him lucrative contracts as he played in the NBA for another seven years.
However, how relevant is recency bias in the corporate world? A LinkedIn survey found that over 70 percent of managers admitted to judging a candidate on their most recent interview answers. Another study by the Harvard Business Review found that people with significant but not recent success were 30 per cent less likely to get ahead in their career via promotion compared to those who might have limited but recent significant success.
Here are three tips:
1) Be aware of your biases. Well, recruiters must understand one thing: everyone is prone to bias. The reasons behind this are simple: bias occurs at the subconscious and unconscious level, making it very hard to detect. This is why acknowledging that one has bias is a major step in the right direction. Recruiters should then also work in tandem with all the stakeholders of the recruitment process to ensure there are minimal to no loopholes.
2) Consider the whole candidate funnel. Don’t just focus on the recent interview or resume; take everything into account for conducting unbiased interviews. Instead of just thinking about the latest interview, look at everything the candidate has done. For example, read their application and notes from every interview round. If someone’s references mention their hard work and teamwork, don’t let a single interview overshadow that.
3) Focus on the future. When making a hiring decision, think about what kind of employee will excel in the role long-term rather than who did well in their interview today. Ask questions like, “How would you handle a difficult project?” This way, you’re judging them on their potential, not just how they performed in one meeting.
Example Question: Instead of only asking what they’ve done before, try, “What would you do if our company needed to solve a big problem quickly?”
Also Read: Revolutionize Your Hiring Process With AI-Driven Pre-Employment Assessments
The problem with recency bias.
Recency bias is the tendency to give more weight to recent information when making decisions and ignoring older information. This can lead to bad decision-making, as we place too much importance on new information and not enough on more senior, possibly more relevant information.
How does recency bias impact job interviews?
Recency bias can impact job interviews in several ways, making conducting unbiased interviews impossible. For example, if you’ve just had a great interview with a candidate, you may be more likely to hire them, even if they’re not the best qualified for the job. Or, if you’ve just had a bad interview with a candidate, you may be less likely to hire them, even if they’re the best qualified for the job. Either way, recency bias can lead to hiring the wrong person for the job.
Recency bias can also impact the way you view job candidates. For example, if you’ve just had a great interview with a candidate, you may be more likely to view them favorably, even if they’re not qualified for the job. Or, if you’ve just had a bad interview with a candidate, you may be less likely to view them favorably, even if they’re the best qualified for the job. Either way, recency bias can lead to viewing job candidates in a distorted way.
Also read: Explained: What Are Game Based Assessments?
How to avoid recency bias.
Recency bias is a cognitive bias when people give disproportionate weight to recent information when making decisions. This can lead to bad decision-making in various situations, including job interviews.
Be aware of your bias
To avoid recency bias, you must be aware of your biases. We all have them, and there’s no shame in admitting that you’re not immune to them. Once you know about the hiring bias, you can start to correct them.
Consider the whole candidate funnel
When considering candidates for a job, you must believe everything you know about them, not just their most recent behavior. This means looking at their entire application, not just their resume or cover letter. It also means talking to references and previous employers, if possible.
Conducting awareness sessions
Conducting awareness sessions
In an interview, a recruiter has to deal with people from various backgrounds. However, it is very hard for an interviewer to relate to each and every one of them. For example, a candidate with a recent big project under his belt is likely to create a better image in the recruiter’s mind than a candidate who may be better skilled for the job but may not have recent success. This is why conducting awareness sessions for recruiters and making them aware of recency bias is a great way to combat it.
Focus on the future
When conducting unbiased interviews, focus on what candidates can do for your company in the future, not just what they’ve done. This may mean asking more hypothetical questions about what they would do in certain situations rather than about specific things they’ve done in the past.
Following these tips can help avoid recency bias and ensure you’re hiring the best candidate for the job.
Also Read: 5 Most Common Interview Questions And How To Answer Them
Conclusion
Recency bias can harm job interviews by skewing the perception of the interviewer for the candidate. To avoid this, you must ensure unbiased interviews, consider the whole candidate, and focus on the future. By doing this, you can ensure that you make the best hiring decision for your company.
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FAQs
What is recency bias?
Recency bias refers to the inclination to give excessive significance to recent experiences or the most recent information when predicting future events.
What is interview bias?
Interviewer bias arises when the interviewer evaluates a candidate not solely on their skills and competencies but also on unspoken or unconscious criteria, leading to a less objective interview.
What are unbiased interview questions?
Unbiased interview questions avoid emphasizing or incorporating factors related to protected characteristics, such as race, gender, age, or other attributes that could influence a biased hiring decision.
The above-mentioned methods for countering recency bias are good. However, what if a company could leverage the power of artificial intelligence to make the process more resistant to bias? This is where our AI-backed interview assistant tool, BarRaiser, can be of great use.
So, how does BarRaiser prevent bias? First, our AI bot only creates a Structured interview format. This is because, in a structured interview, every candidate is asked the same questions. It is done in order to ensure that each candidate is judged on the same metric, thus ensuring that there is a minimal chance of bias seeping into the recruitment process.
In addition, our Ai interview copilot also keeps a tab on the interviewer. So, if at any point in the interview, the recruiter asks a question that may be considered discriminatory, the AI will immediately flag such language and send a report to the Hiring manager.
Post-interview, the recruiter is tasked with creating a report on the candidates with the help of our AI bot. However, at the same time, the bot is also creating a report of its own. This report analyzes the interviewer’s conduct and is shared on the dashboard, which all the stakeholders can access. They can leave comments on the positive and negative aspects of the interview, which can help the interviewer improve themselves. The reasoning behind this process is that there should be appropriate checks and balances on both the candidates and the interviewer. Only then we can hope to create a system devoid of bias in hiring.
Using BarRaiser, we guarantee Quality hiring that will bolster Diversity and inclusion. BarRaiser is the best AI Interview platform that features Structured interviews and tools to ensure quality hiring while eliminating recruitment bias. With BarRaiser’s support, you’ll be well-equipped to build a strong team of sales associates who will drive sales and deliver exceptional customer service.