In any decision-making situation, it’s important to avoid bias. This is especially true when it comes to something as important as hiring someone for a job. One type of bias that can creep into the hiring process is called recency bias.
Recency bias is when you give more weight to information that’s fresh in your mind while disregarding older information. This can happen without you even realizing it. For example, let’s say you’re interviewing two candidates for a job. The first candidate was interviewed a week ago and the second candidate was interviewed today. It’s easy to see how you might be more impressed with the second candidate simply because their interview is fresher in your mind.
Of course, this isn’t fair to the first candidate. They should be judged on their own merits, not on when they are interviewed. So how can you avoid falling victim to recency bias?
Here are three tips:
1) Be aware of your biases. We all have them, so it’s important to catch yourself if you find that you’re giving more weight to recent information.
2) Consider the whole candidate funnel. Don’t just focus on the recent interview or resume; take everything into account.
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.
Avoiding recency bias isn’t always
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 a number of ways. 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 the best 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.
How to avoid recency bias.
Recency bias is a cognitive bias that occurs when people give disproportionate weight to recent information when making decisions. This can lead to bad decision-making in all sorts of situations, including job interviews.
Be aware of your bias
To avoid recency bias, it’s important to be aware of your own biases. We all have them, and there’s no shame in admitting that you’re not immune to them. Once you’re aware of your biases, you can start to correct for them.
Consider the whole candidate funnel
When you’re considering candidates for a job, it’s important to take into account 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.
Focus on the future
When you’re interviewing candidates, focus on what they can do for your company in the future, not just what they’ve done in the past. This may mean asking more hypothetical questions about what they would do in certain situations, rather than asking about specific things they’ve done in the past.
By following these tips, you can help avoid recency bias and make sure you’re hiring the best candidate for the job.
Conclusion
Recency bias can have a negative impact on job interviews by skewing the interviewer’s perception of the candidate. To avoid this, it is important to be aware of your biases, consider the whole candidate, and focus on the future. By doing this, you can ensure that you are making the best hiring decision for your company.
