Questions to Ask Yourself About Hiring Bias

by Valerie Overby, MBA, PCI Senior Associate

How does your organization’s interview and recruitment process stack up?

When working with our clients on various training topics, a few stand out as key topics all Human Resource managers, department managers, and those in senior leadership, should be well versed in. One of these top topics centers around the overall interview and recruitment process. This training topic typically covers best practices in not only crafting meaningful interview questions to ensure you’re finding the best fit for the open positions but also common bias pitfalls that can sneak up on even the most experienced manager.

In PCI’s Manager Training Fundamentals Course, we cover 10 key topics all managers should know inside and out. This course is often facilitated by organization leaders from Human Resources to best meet the training needs of your organization’s managers. The role of bias during the interview process is also covered in this 10-module course and allows HR managers to use our course breakout exercises to go in-depth and create meaningful conversation as well as, key learning moments around critical topics. 

What we have found through the development and implementation of our Manager Training Fundamentals Course, is that it helps elevate the role of your organization's Human Resource Manager, and to ensure key learning outcomes are being taught across your management and even supervisory teams.

The role of bias in the interview process is just one example of a key learning moment. Throughout the 10 modules, other key learning moments include:

1. Role of Management and when to collaborate with HR on employee training, succession planning, or other cross-training initiatives

2. How to craft core competencies and skills needed in job descriptions

3. How to approach department-level employee skill gaps with training and development plans

4. Best practices in documenting poor performance, including how to develop a performance improvement plan

5. When to have two people in the room for documentation

6. Key performance metrics needed for goal setting and skill development

7. Intrinsic and extrinsic employee motivational factors, and how to create a team that is engaged with their work

8. How to use the job descriptions’ core competencies to craft in-depth and meaningful interview questions

9. How to “Wow” your new employee through enhanced onboarding strategies

10. How department managers can create thriving workplace cultures within their teams

PCI is a Proud Member of SHRM 

Through PCI’s involvement with SHRM, we also have our finger on the pulse with SHRM’s latest HR topics and core content. Your organization is only as strong as the employees who help build it. Which makes the need for creating healthy and thriving workplace cultures all the more important.

Workplace culture is more than a talking point. It’s a reflection of your core values, how management communicates, develops, and interacts with their staff, how high achievers are recognized and rewarded, how employees contribute their talent to the organizational overarching goals, and how next-generation talent finds career development opportunities to reach new levels.

For more information go to SHRM’s Overcoming Workplace Bias resource hub and start the conversation today within your organization.