Creating Inclusive Hiring Assessments: A Blueprint for Reducing Bias
According to Forbes, 48% of HR Managers admit that biases have affected their hiring decisions. While this figure may be alarming, it underscores a critical opportunity to rectify this issue.
As organizations place greater emphasis on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), one of the most powerful tools available is the hiring assessment. When designed and implemented correctly, inclusive assessments enable recruiters to evaluate candidates based on job-relevant criteria rather than superficial attributes such as appearance, background, or educational pedigree. By reducing bias, these assessments provide a more standardized and equitable way to identify high-potential candidates—many of whom might have been otherwise overlooked.
In this article, we’ll explore how to create and implement inclusive hiring assessments that help companies build a diverse, high-performing workforce.
Can Assessments Reduce Bias?
Bias in hiring—whether conscious or unconscious—can undermine even the best-intentioned recruitment processes. Traditional methods like resume reviews and unstructured interviews often allow biases to creep in, favoring certain backgrounds or education levels. This results in homogenous workforces that miss out on the richness and innovation brought by diversity.
Inclusive assessments actively disrupt this cycle. Properly designed assessments focus on evaluating candidates’ skills, knowledge, and abilities, providing an objective, standardized method to compare all applicants fairly. As Deloitte reports: 80% of business executives agree that hiring based on skills would reduce bias and increase fairness. Rather than relying on a resume that may prioritize traditional qualifications, inclusive assessments give hiring managers a clearer view of what truly matters—whether candidates possess the skills necessary for the role.
For example, instead of favoring a resume filled with prestigious academic credentials (often shaped by socioeconomic factors), an inclusive assessment might evaluate problem-solving abilities or technical skills. This levels the playing field, allowing hiring managers to spot high-potential candidates from underrepresented backgrounds who may have been overlooked in traditional hiring processes.
Learn more: Reducing Bias in the Interview
Best Practices for Designing Inclusive Assessments
Creating an inclusive hiring assessment requires intentional design and thoughtful implementation. Below are key practices that will help reduce bias and create a fair process for all candidates.
1. Define Clear, Job-Relevant Objectives
The first step in creating an inclusive assessment is to clearly define what the assessment will measure. Identify the core competencies and skills necessary for success in the role, ensuring they align directly with job performance. Avoid vague criteria such as “fit” or personality traits that can invite bias.
Well-defined objectives help ensure assessments evaluate candidates for their potential to excel in the job—not just their background or personality, which might mirror that of existing employees.
2. Select the Right Types of Assessments
When designing assessments, it’s essential to choose formats that are relevant to the role and include both technical and soft skills. There are several types of assessments that can be used:
- Cognitive and Skills Tests: These measure specific job-related abilities, such as problem-solving or coding skills.
- Personality Assessments: Evaluate traits that may predict job performance and cultural fit, like teamwork or leadership potential.
- Work Samples: Ask candidates to complete a task related to the job, such as writing a report or analyzing data.
Choosing the right type of assessment helps ensure that the process evaluates candidates based on their abilities rather than their background, reducing the likelihood of bias.
3. Focus on Skills-Based Assessments
Skills-based assessments are an effective way to reduce bias and improve inclusivity. Moving away from traditional markers of success, like degrees or years of experience, allows organizations to attract talent from non-traditional or overlooked backgrounds.
Practical assessments that simulate real job tasks are especially useful because they provide insight into how well a candidate can perform the role. These types of assessments help level the playing field, ensuring that every candidate has an equal opportunity to succeed, regardless of their background.
4. Design Assessments with Diverse Perspectives
Involving stakeholders from diverse backgrounds in the assessment design process is essential. Their perspectives help ensure the assessments are free of cultural biases and relevant to all candidates.
For example, when designing scenarios or problem sets, ensure they are relatable to a diverse audience and avoid assumptions about specific cultural knowledge or experiences. This kind of design consideration prevents inadvertently disadvantaging certain groups.
5. Implement Structured and Consistent Evaluation Criteria
Standardization is key to reducing bias. All candidates should be evaluated using the same questions or tasks, with clear rubrics guiding the scoring process. This eliminates variability in assessment and ensures that hiring managers are comparing candidates on the same, consistent criteria.
Structured processes also provide transparency, making it easier to defend hiring decisions and build trust with candidates. Companies like Google, for instance, have used structured assessments and clear rubrics to consistently reduce bias and increase diversity in their hiring processes.
Learn more: Skills-First Hiring – Addressing Common Misconceptions
Ensuring Accessibility and Accommodations
One often overlooked aspect of inclusive assessments is accessibility. Candidates from diverse backgrounds may have different needs and learning styles, and it’s essential that assessments accommodate this diversity.
1. Provide Multiple Formats
Offering assessments in multiple formats—such as written, verbal, or practical—ensures that candidates can choose the method that best suits their strengths. This also makes assessments more accessible to individuals with disabilities, who might otherwise be disadvantaged by a single, rigid format.
2. Offer Accommodations
Companies should readily offer accommodations to candidates who require them, such as extended time for candidates with disabilities or alternative assessment formats. Providing such accommodations demonstrates a company’s commitment to inclusivity and ensures that every candidate has an equal opportunity to showcase their skills.
Fostering a Supportive Environment
An inclusive hiring process doesn’t stop at assessment design. Fostering an environment where candidates feel supported and empowered is crucial. For instance, allowing candidates to disclose their preferred pronouns or the correct pronunciation of their names helps create a welcoming, inclusive culture.
It’s also important to provide clear, straightforward instructions for assessments. Avoiding jargon and complicated language ensures that all candidates, regardless of their background, have a fair chance of understanding and succeeding.
Monitoring and Improving Assessment Effectiveness
No assessment is perfect, so it’s essential to continually monitor and improve your process. Regularly collect feedback from candidates to identify areas for improvement and keep an eye on assessment outcomes to spot any emerging patterns of bias.
For example, an organization might notice that certain demographic groups consistently perform worse on a specific section of the assessment. This could be a signal to review that section for unintended bias or adjust the assessment format.
Training Hiring Teams to Recognize Bias
Even with inclusive assessments, the evaluators themselves can introduce bias into the process. This is why it’s crucial to train hiring managers and recruiters to recognize and mitigate their own biases. By ensuring that evaluators are equipped to conduct fair assessments, you can further reduce the potential for bias to influence hiring decisions.
Additionally, promoting the use of inclusive language in assessment materials can help prevent certain groups from being unintentionally excluded or alienated.
Learn more: What are the Benefits of DEI Training?
Conclusion
Inclusive hiring assessments are more than a best practice—they are a critical component of a fair and equitable recruitment strategy. By focusing on skills and competencies, offering standardized evaluations, and designing assessments with diverse perspectives, organizations can significantly reduce bias in their hiring processes.
Moreover, by ensuring accessibility, fostering a supportive environment, and continuously monitoring assessment effectiveness, companies can build a truly inclusive recruitment process. Not only will this attract top talent from all backgrounds, but it will also drive innovation, business success, and a richer, more diverse workforce.