In physcology, there are a multitude of forms of bias that occur on a daily basis, far too many to discuss in this blog post alone. Because of this, I want to focus on the 2 main forms of biases that can occur during job interviews. We will all be faced with a job interview at some point in our lives, and it is important to know about some factors that can either help or hurt your chances of impressing an interviewer.
Firstly, the affinity bias. The definition of affinity bias is a simple concept to grasp, job interviewers look more favorably upon interviewees who they have an affinity for. This can include being from the same hometown, being in the same fraternity or sorority, or having a mutual friend. Interviewees who obtain the affinity of an interviewer are more likely to set themselves apart from other applicants and as a result, have a higher probability of being hired. While people cannot control what hometown they are from, they can control the kinds of organizations they are involved in. Organizations such as business fraternities often advertise the networking opportunities that come with membership, and there is truth to this as this can increase the chances of activating the affinity bias in a job interview.
Secondly, the Halo and Horns effect. These two forms of bias are inverses of each other, and pertain to how an interviewer views a interviewee based on their demor or resume. The Halo Effect is when an interviewer’s judgement of a person is clouded by a particular positive achievement or attribute. For example, if an interviewee’s resume states that they went to Harvard, the interviewer assumes that the candidate is smarter and better qualified than others, even if this is not the case. As a result, the Halo Effect makes interviewers become blind to other important factors such as experience or temperament. Conversely, the Horns Effect is when an interviewee displays one bad trait or attribute that interviewers are unable to overlook. An example being if an interviewee has a bad credit score, an interviewer will assume the person is not trustworthy, regardless of the context. Because of this, it is important to make sure there is nothing in your resume that could activate the Horns Effect, otherwise your chances of being hired are much lower.
In conclusion, the best way to decrease the negative form of bias that can occur during a job interview is to ensure that there are as many qualifications as possible to trigger the affinity bias and no actions that could trigger the Horns Effect. Joining networking organizations and taking internships could all increase the probability of an interviewer forming an affinity for a candidate. While having a criminal record could cause the interviewer to trigger the Horns Effect rather than the Halo Effect. Job interviews are more complicated than they seem, and having a strong, qualified resume is the best way to reduce any form of negative bias.