Interview Biases that Exist and how to avoid them

INTERVIEW BIASES

Several personality biases that exist among interviewers can impact the outcome of Interviews. These are:

Halo Effect:
When a positive impression in one area influences the overall judgment. For instance, if an interviewer is impressed by a candidate’s communication skills, they might positively bias their assessment of other unrelated skills.

Horn Effect:
The opposite of the Halo Effect. It occurs when one negative trait influences the perception of the whole personality. For example, if a candidate fumbles on one question, the interviewer might overlook their other strong qualifications.

Similarity Bias:
Interviewers may favour candidates who they perceive as similar to themselves in terms of background, interests, or experiences.

Confirmation Bias:
Interviewers might seek information that confirms their initial impression or preconceptions about a candidate while ignoring contradictory evidence.

Stereotyping:
Assumptions based on stereotypes about a candidate’s race, gender, age, or other characteristics can influence judgments during the interview.

Contrast Effect:
Interviewers might compare candidates against each other instead of against the job requirements, leading to a skewed evaluation.

Anchoring Bias: The first impression or information received about a candidate can heavily influence subsequent evaluations.

Awareness of these biases can help interviewers strive for a fairer assessment of candidates based on their qualifications and abilities rather than personal biases.


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