Standardised Hiring Practices

As companies expand and evolve, it is natural for different recruitment practices to emerge across teams and departments. This variation is not inherently negative – different approaches are often essential to ensure your recruitment processes effectively assess and select the right talent.

However, when key elements of fair and valid recruitment practices are missing or applied inconsistently, it creates an environment where bias and stereotypes can flourish, resulting in poor hiring decisions.

Hiring managers making these decisions often trust their instincts, believing they can “recognise talent when they see it.” However, this approach is far less objective than it appears. A recent study examining managerial biases over the past decade found that employees from marginalised groups face harsher working conditions and fewer advancement opportunities than their peers. These disparities stem from biases among decision-makers, who tend to favour white male employees for leadership roles. Unconscious biases can subtly shape evaluations, skewing perceptions of candidates’ capabilities.

We must tackle these biases, as they undermine effective hiring practices. Over the past century, psychological research has consistently demonstrated that structured recruitment processes are the most reliable way to identify and hire strong talent. Once you establish a process that works well for your organisation, replicating it across all areas will yield significant benefits. However, as more people become involved in assessment processes, there is a risk of the process deviating from its structure, ultimately becoming less fair and inclusive.

The challenge lies in ensuring that (1) individuals have the skills to recruit effectively and (2) there’s consistency in assessment practice across the organisation, regardless of the role being filled.

To create a truly fair and effective hiring process – consistency is key. The ultimate approach doesn’t involve standardising every interview question or assessment but building a flexible framework that ensures consistency in how assessments are conducted while allowing room for deviation based on role-specific needs. For example, hiring for a marketing role will naturally require assessing different qualities than hiring for an engineering role.

However, the steps taken in the assessment process (i.e. how candidates are assessed, scored, and evaluated) should remain consistent to reduce bias and promote fairness. This is the foundation of an inclusive hiring process. 

Effective hiring starts with writing job descriptions that attract diverse talent. Training managers to craft job postings that are clear, unbiased, and inclusive is critical. This includes:

• Avoiding gendered language and jargon.

• Focusing on essential skills rather than “nice-to-haves” that can discourage capable candidates from applying.

If budget and resources were unlimited, the ultimate training program for hiring managers would address the entire hiring journey – from writing inclusive job descriptions to making fair, data-driven hiring decisions. 

Let’s break it down step by step:

Once candidates apply, hiring managers need to know how to assess them objectively. The ultimate training program would include:

• Interactive Learning: Quizzes and simulations that help managers recognise effective questions and avoid common pitfalls.
• Bias Awareness Training: Managers learn how their personal biases and personality traits can influence assessments and how to manage these tendencies.
• Live Practice: Opportunities to practice real assessment scenarios and receive feedback on performance.

Afterwards, the focus should shift to making data-driven decisions. This step includes:

• Ensuring consistency in scoring and evaluation processes across all roles.
• Enabling positive scoring conversations to minimise bias and maintain scoring consistency across a diverse candidate pool.
• Training managers to analyse assessment composite assessment data objectively and collaboratively.

On-demand tools to allow managers to refresh their knowledge right before conducting an assessment, ensuring they apply the latest best practices.

While workshops and classroom training are common, they often fall short in preparing managers to apply what they’ve learned. Long workshops can be tiring, and short workshops can be overwhelming, leading to information overload and low retention of learning. Plus, without time for reflection or practice, the learning rarely sticks for the long term.

The most effective, organisational-wide learning solution is a self-paced, interactive digital training platform. Our Inclusive Recruitment online digital training program is designed to be the most effective, engaging, and results-driven solution for organisations serious about improving hiring decisions. Unlike traditional workshops, our program ensures that learning is practical, memorable, and immediately applicable: 

• Flexible & On-Demand: Managers learn at their own pace, accessing modules when they’re most focused without disrupting their daily workflow. 
• Hands-On & Interactive: Through real-world simulations, role-playing exercises, and quizzes, managers get to practice writing job descriptions, conducting structured interviews, and assessing candidates effectively. 
• Built-in Expert Insights & Feedback: Our platform offers personalised insights, helping managers identify potential biases, understand decision-making patterns, and refine their judgment with real-time guidance. 
• Organisation-Wide Consistency: By providing a standardised approach, our training ensures that every hiring manager follows the same best practices, leading to fairer, more structured hiring decisions across teams. 

What to have a free trial of our programme? 

Building a consistent, inclusive hiring process requires more than just good intentions. It demands a comprehensive approach that combines structured processes, flexible tools, and effective training. By investing in interactive, self-paced learning platforms that emphasise practical skills and bias awareness, companies can equip their hiring managers with everything they need to succeed. 

The result? A stronger, fairer, and more consistent organisation-wide hiring practices —and a more diverse and talented workforce. 

If you’re interested in trialling our Inclusive Recruitment Programme, please get in touch via the form below.

Traditional Interview Training 

Interview training has long been a staple in organisations and for a good reason. It provides hiring managers with foundational best practices, tips for assessment, and sometimes hands-on exercises. However, there are some limitations: 

• Limited Duration: Training sessions often last a few hours, packing in a lot of information that may be difficult to retain. 
• One-Size-Fits-All Approach: Traditional workshops aren’t tailored to individual needs or roles, leaving gaps in understanding. 
• Lack of Self-Insight: Effective interviewing requires awareness of personal biases and how individual traits influence assessments. Without psychometric tools or reflection exercises, this crucial aspect is often overlooked.

Digital Learning Platforms 

Digital training platforms are a powerful alternative. They offer: 

• On-Demand Learning: Modules that can be revisited as needed, allowing managers to learn at their own pace. 
• Practical Application: The best platforms incorporate interactive exercises and simulations, providing a safe space to practice interviewing skills. 
• Building Confidence and Mental Models: Practice, paired with feedback on performance and personality-based insights, helps managers develop confidence and refine their mental models for conducting interviews. 

Research in psychology confirms that practice is the key to transferring skills from training to real-life scenarios. Digital platforms that offer feedback and self-assessment tools give hiring managers the clarity they need to recognise their biases and play to their strengths.

Assessment Process Audits 

An audit of your current hiring practices is an essential step toward consistency and fairness. This objective review identifies: 

• Inconsistencies in Interviews: Highlighting areas where practices differ across roles or departments. 
• Opportunities for Improvement: Recommending best practices tailored to your organisation’s goals. 
• Alignment with Organisational Objectives: Ensuring that your hiring process supports your mission to find and retain the best talent. 

For larger companies, audits are particularly crucial. The bigger the organisation, the higher the chance that inconsistent practices have already taken root. An audit provides clarity and actionable steps to unify and improve interview processes. 

 Final Thoughts 

To build an inclusive, consistent hiring process, organisations must combine training, digital learning, and regular audits. These strategies help foster fairness, reduce bias, and ensure that every candidate is assessed on their true potential. Most importantly, they enable companies to achieve their ultimate goal: hiring the best people to drive growth and innovation. 

With a thoughtful approach, it’s possible to break free from old biases and create a culture where talent—regardless of background—can thrive.

Reference
Cunningham, G. B., & Cunningham, H. R. (2022). Bias among managers: Its prevalence across a decade and comparison across occupations. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 1034712. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1034712