20 Unconscious Biases Shaping Your Interview

As an ex-Amazonian, I've found the Amazon interview process to be inspiring, exemplary, not only in its rigorous evaluation of skills and cultural fit but also in its proactive approach to mitigating unconscious bias. The structured format, inclusive of behavioural-based and technical interviews, ensures a comprehensive and fair assessment of candidates.

Our continuous dedication to our Leadership Principles serves as a valuable guide, promoting a holistic view of each candidate. The company's commitment to minimising unconscious bias through extensive training for interviewers and ongoing efforts to refine processes highlights its dedication to diversity and inclusivity. This emphasis on fairness not only enhances the overall employee experience but also aligns seamlessly with our core values of customer-centricity and innovation.

Mitigating bias in the interview process requires the implementation of deliberate measures to uphold fairness and objectivity. Below, you'll find 20 types of unconscious bias, along with some key tips to enhance inclusivity in your interviewing practices:

1. Anchoring bias refers to the tendency to rely too heavily on the first piece of information encountered (the "anchor") when making decisions.

2. Availability Heuristic bias is the tendency to rely on readily available information, often recent or vivid examples, when making judgments or decisions.

3. The Bandwagon Effect is a cognitive bias where individuals tend to adopt certain behaviours, beliefs, or trends because they perceive others doing the same. In an interview setting, the Bandwagon Effect might manifest when interviewers are influenced by the opinions or decisions of other team members rather than forming an independent evaluation of a candidate.

4. Blind-spot Bias refers to the tendency for individuals to recognize biases in others but not in themselves. In the context of interviewing, this bias may manifest when interviewers believe they are impartial and objective in their assessments, failing to acknowledge their own potential biases.

5. Choice-supportive bias is a cognitive bias where individuals tend to recall positive attributes of choices they have made and downplay the negative aspects. In an interview setting, choice-supportive bias may influence interviewers to perceive candidates they have already favoured or selected more positively, even if new information suggests otherwise.

6. The Clustering Illusion bias is a cognitive bias where individuals perceive patterns or trends in sets of data, even when the data is random or unrelated. In the context of interviewing, the clustering illusion may lead interviewers to identify patterns or trends in a candidate's responses that may not actually exist.

7. Confirmation Bias is a cognitive bias where individuals tend to favor information that confirms their pre-existing beliefs or hypotheses while disregarding or downplaying evidence that contradicts them. In the context of interviewing, confirmation bias can influence interviewers to selectively focus on information that aligns with their initial impressions of a candidate and ignore evidence that challenges those impressions.

8. Conservatism Bias is a cognitive bias where individuals exhibit a reluctance to update their beliefs or judgments in response to new information. In the context of interviewing, conservatism bias can manifest when interviewers are hesitant to revise their initial opinions about a candidate, even when presented with compelling and relevant data that suggests a reassessment is warranted.

9. Information Bias is a cognitive bias where individuals place excessive emphasis on acquiring information, even if that information is irrelevant or doesn't contribute significantly to the decision-making process. In an interviewing context, information bias may lead interviewers to prioritize gathering extensive details about a candidate, potentially overlooking the more critical and job-relevant aspects.

10. The Ostrich Effect bias is a cognitive bias wherein individuals avoid or ignore information that they perceive as negative or threatening. In the context of interviewing, the Ostrich Effect may manifest when interviewers consciously or subconsciously overlook red flags or critical concerns about a candidate, choosing not to address or acknowledge potentially problematic aspects.

11. Outcome Bias is a cognitive bias where individuals judge the quality of a decision based on the outcome rather than the process or information available at the time the decision was made. In the context of interviewing, outcome bias can influence interviewers to evaluate the effectiveness of their hiring decision solely based on the subsequent success or failure of the candidate in the role.

12. Overconfidence Bias is a cognitive bias where individuals tend to overestimate their own abilities, knowledge, or judgment compared to objective reality. In the context of interviewing, overconfidence bias may influence interviewers to be excessively confident in their assessments of candidates, potentially leading to errors in judgment or overlooking critical information.

13. The Placebo Effect Bias refers to the phenomenon where individuals experience a change in behavior or perception due to their belief in the effectiveness of a treatment or intervention, even when the treatment itself has no therapeutic effect. In the context of interviewing, the placebo effect bias might manifest when interviewers perceive improvement or positive qualities in a candidate based on preconceived notions or expectations rather than objective evidence.

14. Pro-innovation Bias is a cognitive bias where individuals exhibit a tendency to overestimate the benefits and underestimate the drawbacks of adopting new innovations or technologies. In the context of interviewing, this bias may influence interviewers to favor candidates who propose or support innovative ideas without critically evaluating the practicality or potential risks associated with those proposals.

15. Recency Bias is a cognitive bias where individuals tend to give more weight or importance to the most recent events or information when making decisions or forming judgments. In the context of interviewing, recency bias may impact the evaluation of a candidate based on their most recent performance, overshadowing a more comprehensive assessment of their overall qualifications.

16. Salience Bias is a cognitive bias where individuals focus on the most noticeable or prominent information rather than considering less conspicuous but equally relevant information. In an interviewing context, salience bias may influence interviewers to give undue importance to aspects of a candidate's background or experience that are particularly noticeable, while potentially overlooking other, less apparent but equally important qualifications.

17. Selective Perception Bias is a cognitive bias where individuals tend to perceive and interpret information in a way that aligns with their existing beliefs, expectations, or attitudes, while filtering out or downplaying information that contradicts those preconceptions. In an interviewing context, selective perception bias may lead interviewers to focus on information that confirms their initial impressions of a candidate while disregarding or minimizing evidence that challenges those impressions.

18. Stereotyping Bias is a cognitive bias where individuals categorize and make assumptions about individuals based on characteristics such as gender, race, age, or other observable traits, rather than considering their individual qualities or abilities. In the context of interviewing, stereotyping bias may influence interviewers to form preconceived notions about a candidate based on superficial characteristics, potentially leading to unfair judgments.

19. Survivorship Bias is a cognitive bias that occurs when individuals focus on the successes or survivors in a particular group and overlook the failures or those who did not succeed. In the context of interviewing, survivorship bias may impact decision-making by emphasizing the positive attributes or achievements of candidates who have succeeded in the hiring process, while neglecting to consider the experiences and qualifications of those who were not selected.

20. Zero-risk Bias is a cognitive bias where individuals prefer options that carry no risk, even if the expected benefit or advantage is minimal. In the context of decision-making, including hiring and interviewing, zero-risk bias may influence individuals to opt for choices that seem entirely safe or uncontroversial, even if there are potentially better options with more significant benefits. Firstly, recognizing and mitigating zero-risk bias is essential for achieving a well-rounded evaluation that takes into account potential benefits and contributions along with perceived risks. I am personally dedicated to ongoing improvement, aiming to cultivate an interview process that is not only rigorous and insightful but also fair, diverse, and inclusive. Educate yourself on some of the above & let me know how you get on!