These are unprecedented times and organizations are not only changing how they attract, hire, and retain talent but are more focussed than ever in building a more diverse and inclusive tech hiring process. With more than 47% of millennials wanting to work at diverse companies, organizations need to build processes which eliminate unconscious bias and build workforce diversity.

But how do you limit bias in your tech hiring process?

While eliminating bias altogether from the tech recruiting process could be a long shot, there are a few things you can do to reduce it -

Be objective in your tech hiring process - Let a candidate’s ability to code be the primary parameter while evaluating candidates. Bringing objectivity into the process is a sure way of overcoming bias
Enable collaboration via inclusive panels - Since most biases occur at an individual level, opt for collaborative interviews via an inclusive panel which leaves little room for bias
Be decisive in your approach - Most times recruiters are left with a decision to make one final choice. At times like these, the decision should be on how skillful the candidate is. This helps you limit bias while not limiting talent.

The story though doesn’t end here. Most companies have hiring initiatives which focus on diversity but very few have processes in place to increase diversity in tech. These 5 points can help you-

Hire for value fit instead of a culture fit - If your interview is based only on culture, there is a high chance of bias creeping in as you could unconsciously pick candidates who think or act like the majority of your employees. Instead, focus on how well the person’s values align with the organization’s vision and goal

Opt for gender fluid job descriptions - More often than not, a lot of tech job descriptions contain gender-coded words like “rockstar” and “ninja” and these could create an unconscious bias against women developers. Being mindful of the vocab you use can make a big difference

Combat ageism in tech - Sometimes, just because a developer is too young or old for the role, he/ she could be rejected from a job without considering the whole story. So while hiring engineering, make it a habit to look at their last two years of experience rather than the previous 20 years and see if this experience fits into what you’re looking for

Do away with resumes - A resume could never tell you how good a candidate is at coding and what he/ she is capable of achieving in the future. Instead, use a skill-based assessment to truly measure a candidate’s worth

Aim for inclusion - Merely hiring women developers is just a drop in the ocean. Facilitating an inclusive hiring process by allowing freedom of expression and celebrating differences can help foster a sense of belonging and drive inclusion in your organization

Upswings and downturns in the industry are unfortunate, but with this pandemic, one of the biggest changes in hiring trends could be how the recruitment process itself is conducted. Hence, recruiters and hiring managers need to think ahead to stay on top of the curve.

Uncovering Hiring Bias In A Post-COVID Tech Market