Why Subjective Employee Hiring Decisions Are Outdated…

Posted 5th Sep 2023

Now that may seem a harsh statement to make, but bear with me and let’s dig into this.

The labour market has most certainly evolved significantly over the past few decades, with technological advancements, globalisation, and the focus on diversity and inclusion all playing a role in shaping the way organisations across the spectrum hire people. We’ve come a long way in other words, but despite this progress, some employers continue to rely, more or less, on subjective judgment alone when making hiring decisions, even those that are particularly business critical. These choices then are often rooted in gut feeling, personal biases, or subjective criteria that does not necessarily reflect a candidate's true potential or fit for a given role. With the tools now available to help facilitate more objective decision making and more accurately predict longer term candidate success, or not as the case may be of course, this subjective based approach is not only outdated it can also result in a host of problems down the line for those that use it.

Examples of Subjective Decisions Gone Wrong

The Cultural Fit Dilemma: In an effort to hire someone that will 'fit in,' it’s common for hiring managers to appoint candidates who they feel will mesh well with the team on a personal level. While compatibility is clearly important, this often results in homogenous teams lacking a level of diversity. This in turn can stifle creativity and problem-solving, both of which generally benefit from multiple perspectives. Another one of ‘the gang’ is comfortable, but is it what’s really needed each time.

Overvaluing the Interview: while it’s understandable at first, many hiring managers still place to much emphasis on performance at the traditional job interview and even prior first impressions. Again, this is an essentially subjective measure that studies suggest is very often not a good indicator of future job performance. Unless one is perhaps interviewing an actor whose role is to portray someone performing well at a job interview. Decisions based on the 'likability' or 'charm' of a candidate can overlook more qualified individuals who might not be as polished in an interview setting but can excel in the actual role. Consider the outstanding, but painfully introverted, technical specialist or conversely super polished salesperson with plenty of bark, but in realty little bite.

Overemphasis on Pedigree: while arguably not as rife as it once was, favouring job applicants from certain educational backgrounds or companies still occurs and can be a short-sighted subjective decision that doesn't consider the wide range of experiences, skills and behavioural traits that may be relevant to the role, even if that candidate cannot demonstrate a degree or lengthy period spent with a notable competitor. This leads to missed opportunities to hire candidates with unconventional but valuable skill sets.

Referral Bias: Relying too heavily on internal referrals as well can perpetuate a cycle where existing employees recommend people who are ‘like them’, not necessarily those who are the most qualified for the job or can take the job where you’d like to see it go.

Risks and Costs

Legal Repercussions: There’s no escaping it, hiring decisions based on subjective factors like gender, age, or ethnicity can expose companies to legal liabilities. Anti-discrimination laws are designed to encourage a more equitable hiring process.

Talent Wastage: Companies that make hiring decisions based on subjective judgments often miss out on top talent, opting instead for candidates who might be less skilled and ultimately represent a poor fit, but who are better at performing accordingly and navigating the subjective hiring process.

Company Reputation: word gets around doesn’t it, and a company known for subjective hiring practices may very soon, if they don’t already, find it difficult to attract high-quality candidates who would rather work for businesses with fairer and more objective selection processes.

The Way Forward

As organisations strive to adapt to the modern world, it is crucial that they move away from purely subjective hiring practices in favour of more objective, data-driven approaches. Methods such as skills tests, psychometric profiling, and assessments (of jobs as well as the candidates applying for them) guided interviews are increasingly available and can significantly improve the reliability and fairness of the hiring process, not to mention successful subsequent retention and so cost saving.

 

Gavin Ibell

gavin.ibell@ibellrecruitmentandstaffing.co.uk

01908 929042

07786 175589

Nathan K on Unsplash