How Can Recruiters Reduce Recruitment Bias in Their Processes?
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Recruitment bias, especially gender bias, continues to influence hiring decisions in the UK.
Astute People advises strategies including anonymised CVs, blind skill assessments, unbiased job adverts, and standardised interviews to create fair hiring practices.
Sam Bradshaw, Astute’s Head of People, shares advice on reducing bias in recruitment.
What is Gender Bias?
Gender bias refers to the subconscious preference for one gender over another, often based on stereotypes or historical expectations.
Gender Bias in Recruitment
Total Jobs analysed nearly 77,000 UK job adverts, identifying 478,175 gender-coded words, averaging 6 per advert.
Recruitment Bias: What Recruiters Can Do
- Use anonymous CVs to remove names and gender indicators.
- Apply blind skill assessments and remove mentions of hobbies or family commitments.
- Qualify job roles with hiring managers to challenge potential bias.
- Ensure interview processes are consistent, including providing questions in advance when appropriate.
How to Avoid Gender Bias in Job Adverts
Review job adverts for non-biased language and use AI tools such as Total Jobs Gender-Bias Decoder or Your Dandi’s Gender Decoder.
Encourage clients to be flexible in candidate selection and standardise interview questions to benchmark all applicants.
Commonly Used Gendered Words in UK Job Descriptions
Male-Coded Words:
- Lead
- Analyse
- Competitive
- Active
- Confident
Female-Coded Words:
- Support
- Responsible
- Understanding
- Dependable
- Committed
Proactively addressing bias improves talent attraction and retention. Data from Sage shows that gender-diverse companies are 15% more likely to financially outperform competitors.
About the Author
Sam Bradshaw is Astute’s Head of People, joined in 2017, Chartered CIPD member, with Level 7 HR Development, Talent Management and Employment Law qualifications.