Reducing bias in your hiring process to increase workplace diversity isn’t something that will quickly be solved overnight. It first requires an understanding of what bias means and how your hiring process contributes to humans’ natural biases. Let’s begin by defining bias, then moving to the benefits, and finally ways to prevent bias in your hiring process.

I’m not biased, am I?

Webster defines bias as “exhibited or characterized by an unreasoned judgment.” Unconscious racism, ageism, and sexism all play a significant role in whom we hire. To solve for these unconscious biases, we need to understand how to prevent them and gain an understanding of the tools we can use to reduce bias in the hiring process. After all, it’s often subconscious and could be something a hiring manager doesn’t even realize happens.

However, once it’s brought to light and tools are implemented to reduce hiring bias, organizations can increase thought diversity and reap the benefits.

 Benefits of Reducing Hiring Bias

1. High-performing teams are more diverse. It’s important to understand the dynamics of your teams and which strengths each member brings. A study conducted by Good&Co found that for optimal team performance, teams should be a mix of 50% men and women. The same study found female managers reported higher levels of cohesiveness and better team performance compared to male managers.

2. Diverse teams will find creative approaches to solve issues. Employees will excel when they understand how their unique strengths benefit the group and overall company. Research shows that the more diverse a team, the more likely it is to consider different approaches which result in innovative, compelling ideas.

Source - Read More at: www.business2community.com