Am sure we all like to think that we are open-minded and objective towards people and situations, is that though the truth; can you honestly say that you have never been unconsciously bias during recruitment?

1. Unconscious Bias
Part1: Job description
Am sure we all like to think that we are open-minded and objective towards people and situations, is
that though the truth; can you honestly say that you have never been unconsciously bias during
recruitment? Don’t rush to answer this before you read the rest as you may be surprised as I was
when I first came across what unconscious bias really means. We hear a lot of discussions as to how
we can use various techniques to avoid being unconsciously bias during recruitment, before looking
into that though let’s take a minute to really understand why it affect us and what it is.
Why it affects us
Our brains receive millions of information per day and in order to handle all this the brain decides to
cut some corners to process what is considered of less value, so as to focus on has been categorized
as important. This is something done automatically by our brains and the control we have over this is
little to none. OK - that’s how it works, but what does it mean? Well, unconscious bias refers to a bias
that we are unaware of, which happens outside of our control. It is done automatically and is triggered
by our brain resulting to quick judgments and assessments of people and situations, influenced by
our background, culture, environment and finally from our own personal experiences.
So, it turns out that we are all unconscious bias!
How does this affect us in recruitment?
In this first part let's take a quick look at the Job advertisement. To begin with, a job description is
formed and then we go ahead to create the job advertisement. The goal is to attract quality
candidates that can do the job and not satisfy one's biases. So, take a look below at some examples
and thinks how many times have you seen in a job advertisement the following:
• 3-5 years of related experience = implies that someone with more experience, such as an older
candidate with more than 5 years of experience would not be welcome
• Energetic personality = usually younger ages come to one’s mind with such adjectives used
• Leadership qualities = implies a masculinity preference
• Include photo = what you look like matters if you get the job
Are any of the above really criteria that show you if the candidates can do the job or not, well not
really, they are biases which end up distancing qualified candidates from applying.

2. How to Remove bias from Job descriptions
1. Stereotyping = It is crucial to be aware that stereotypes play a role in inequity when writing job
advertisements. Avoid using language directed towards a certain stereotype.
2. Gender = Gender titles can be seen as discriminating or even stereotyping. Replace them with
words such as “person” to make your job advertisement more gender friendly and appealing to both
male & female.
3. Adjectives = Using adjectives in the job advertisement that accidentally note to specific people
that they are unwanted in your organisation. Here are some examples of subtle adjectives that have
this discouraging effect. Words as “independent, lead, competitive, determined” are considered as
masculine themed words. Whereas, “dedicated, supportive, sociable, responsible” are considered to
be female themed.
4. Requirements = List all the necessary criteria for doing this job well and keep to the point. There
is no need for long job description, by keeping them brief you’ll have higher chances of attracting
quality candidates.
5. Terminology jargon = remove any terminology jargon which may be unknown to the
candidates as it can turn off or distance potential candidates because it disadvantages those who
don’t share the same highly specialized vocabulary.
So take a step back and challenge yourself by taking a second look at that job advertisement you have
posted and see if it is truly unbiased!
In the Part 2 will be taking a look at the Interview phase.