If a candidate is late for the interview, the hiring manager may frame questions to show the candidate isn’t the right fit. An interviewer, in response, may form interview questions that help prove this sales record makes the candidate the perfect new hire. Example of confirmation biasįor instance, an applicant’s CV may include a stand-out sales record. In hiring, this type of bias can cause interviewers to support opinions or preconceptions that were formed during the initial application review or phone screen. People naturally favor information that will confirm their previously existing beliefs. Confirmation biasĬonfirmation bias is common outside of recruiting. Unfortunately, sharing a hometown doesn’t really indicate whether or not a candidate will excel in your sales position, for instance. Affinity bias is a similar phenomenon: when you have things in common with a candidate, such as where you went to school or the same hometown, you may prefer that candidate over someone with whom you do not have things in common. We’re more inclined to hire people who pass the so-called “beer test” – e.g., ”Could I see myself getting a beer with this person?”. Simply put, we tend to want to work more with people who are like us. Similarity bias is perhaps one of the easiest traps for a recruiter to fall into. These 12 biases are especially pertinent to recruiters and hiring managers during the hiring process. There are a number of unconscious biases that influence our behavior, decisions, and relationships every day.