Unconscious Bias in Interviewing and Letters of Recommendation

In all different types of workplaces, forms of unconscious bias are liable to appear in our day-to-day interactions with each other. Specifically, when thinking about introductions to new people entering our workplace, our unconscious biases are the most likely to appear when we are forming first impressions. Executives at Facebook noticed a similar phenomenon and created a training to discuss mitigating unconscious bias around first impressions. Watch the video below to learn how you can manage these biases as well!

Read more about bias in interviews and letters of recommendation below: 

• Help that Hurts Women: Study finds recommendation letters for academic jobs signal doubt about female applicants more than they do for men, with real, negative effects on their job chances.
• Seven Common Interview Biases: An explanation of the previously mention interview biases, including stereotyping, first impression, and the “similar-to-me” effect. 
• How to Take the Bias Out of Interviews: An article from the Harvard Business Review about how to center relevant information in interviews to ensure equitable interview and hiring processes.