Consistent hiring practices follow the same set of guidelines, regardless of subjective components derived from different recruiters or general different hiring methods. They are a fundamental element towards eliminating bias and creating an inclusive recruitment strategy. Particularly during high volume recruitment when employers receive high influxes of job applications per single vacancy, over a short space of time. As the greater the application rate the greater the risk of inconsistencies and potential mistakes. Which can consequently lead to poor hiring decisions, lost time and strains financially on an employer.
Consistency benefits:
- Tackle unconscious bias
- Make smarter decisions
- Focus on what’s important
- Save time and money
- Sets a regularity that all employees can reference
- Easier to justify hiring decisions
- Reduces unpredictability of decisions based on a whim or ‘gut feeling‘
3 examples of consistent hiring practices
Structure
The recruitment structure requires careful planning and consideration of what skills and experience are necessary for the given role. When this is understood, a structured approach to sourcing is essential. Advertising externally is beneficial when recruiting for a role where there is a known skills shortage. It is important for organisations to determine advertising routes prior to setting the role live. Making multiple changes, externally and internally, changing job descriptions and application processes depending on who the candidate is, will be damaging to the level of consistency employers aim to obtain.
To overcome this, it’s effective to set the same criteria to ensure every candidate meets the job application requirements. Whether this is via, a CV submittal, a cover letter, examples of past work or answering application questions — make sure each job seeker submits the set documentation.
Screening technology
When multiple different recruiters screen applicants manually, there is a greater risk of unconscious bias occurring. As well as difficulty maintaining the same level of consistency in their review process. This is mainly due to human interpretation, subjective decisions and time restraints that lead to CVs not being reviewed fully or even at all.
Incorporating hiring technology can simply standardise this process and ensure each single job application is treated fairly based on the same job criteria. Screening technology automates the process of reviewing, screening and sifting job applications against open vacancies. Designed to be skill-focused and highly rank applicants who match the job description and set skill set an employer has set. Thereby recruiters have more time to reinvest back into making more strategic hiring decisions with peace of mind that the initial screening process is free from bias.
Interview techniques
Encourage consistency during the interview process with careful consideration and planning. The primary focus being led on the interview framework, question style, interview panel and overall scoring system. As interviews are largely human and opinion-dependent it can be difficult (without planning!) to design consistent interview practices.
Recruiters and employers will see a noticeable difference in how they hire if they devise a standard set of technical/role-based questions a candidate must answer. As well as behavioural style questions related to their potential team’s work style. Then implement some sort of scoring system to realign hiring priorities by looking statistically at who is the best hire based on the numbers.
To make those all-important final hiring decisions, it’s essential for improving consistency that the key evaluators determine their scoring marks first before beginning discussions with other interviewers. This will minimise the risk of persuasion based on stereotypes and first impressions.
