Bias in Sourcing: It's Not Black and White

OK! As I write this blog, I must expose myself. I went to a small private college on the Mainline in Philadelphia. Schools are a dime a dozen in the suburbs of Philly. For many years, I would say my college name and people would say “where?” or “never heard of it".

Let me put my experience into perspective for you. My school did not auto populate when filling out applications. My school was “other”, and I had to type in the name. Can you imagine how embarrassing it was to be an “other” school? The Oprah Winfrey Show put my school on the map somewhat. There was a student who overcame some life struggles who went on the Oprah Winfrey Show to share their story. Oprah did not give me a car, but she gave me a little undergraduate school recognition.

The Oprah Effect wasn’t strong enough. Relocating to Dallas proved to be too far away from the East Coast Ivy League Schools. I decided to take matters into my own hands when it was time to go to Business School. Discovery was made in a Business School in Dallas known as “The Ivy League of the South”.

From the day that I registered for my first class until now, planning our 10-year reunion, I went from subpar to superior. No one knows or cares what my final GPA was. No one knows or cares about me obtaining all A’s and B’s except for the D in Finance my last module. That darn professor and those tricky tricky questions on the final that was 70% of my grade caused me to retake the course. It was just pure evil. The moral of the story is that I am forever labeled as “smart” in Dallas because of my business school choice. Am I smarter? Or, did I make a smart and strategic business school decision?

The moral of the story is that I am forever labeled as “smart” in Dallas because of my business school choice. Am I smarter? Or, did I make a smart and strategic business school decision?

Bias Grey Area

One of my friend’s was a local star at a Division I School in college. He accidentally got off at the wrong elevator level for an interview. When he went into the office his picture was on the cover of a magazine on the coffee table. He never made it to his original interview. The company gave him the opportunity of a lifetime starting his 15+ year career in finance.

My friend is one of the hardest working people that I know and has elevated his career to the executive level at one of the nation’s top companies. He took full advantage of this opportunity and never wasted a moment. Employers can argue that the discipline, drive, and motivation of a Division I athlete is unmatched.

You can’t help but wonder if my friend were the same person on the inside with a strong work ethic and NOT a local, Division I star what would have happened to him when he walked into the wrong office. Would the lady at the office have told him to “go down the hallway and make a left”?

Be Like Mike Syndrome

Hiring managers are biased toward graduates from their alma maters, family member’s alma maters, people from their hometown/region, Ivy Leagues, Top Schools, schools that produced their favorite associates over the years, and people they share common interest with such as sports and hobbies.

Undetectable factors of unconscious biases are extremely dangerous and can create a homogenous culture. It may be easier to identify bias based on gender, sexual orientation, or race/ethnicity.

Undetectable factors of unconscious biases are extremely dangerous and can create a homogenous culture. It may be easier to identify bias based on gender, sexual orientation, or race/ethnicity.

Extroverts are NOT Extraterrestrials

Let’s face it we like people who are like us. I am 87% extrovert. I love to talk. I love to laugh. As a Talent Acquisition leader, I make a conscious effort to stay focused on the job description and qualifications. What if the candidate is 87% introvert? What if the candidate is on the spectrum? There is only one question that needs to be assessed. Can the candidate be successful at this job? TA professionals have a duty to challenge themselves and their hiring managers to stay focused on the true needs of the role and organization.

“The team is a bunch of extroverts. We like to work hard and play hard. We like to laugh and have fun. An introvert or boring person will not do well on our team”. TA professionals must ask a simple question of their hiring managers and that is, “but can they do the job?” Sometimes this feedback is disguised as “not a culture fit”. We can’t accept this feedback. Push for more during the debrief session from all the interviewers. What makes this qualified person not a culture fit to unfold and expose any biases.

Bias Crushing

“Graduates from _____ School/University seem to do really well in this role/team”.

Have you ever heard this statement? It is our job as TA professionals to present graduates from all schools that fit the job description. WAIT!! Let’s go a step further than education. We need to be willing to press leaders to consider candidates without a formal education who match the job description qualifications and years of experience. OFCCP compliance must be more than including the BQs (Basic Qualifications) on a Job Description. It must be enforced.

The following is an example of BQs included in a Job Description:

• Masters and 0 years of Experience
• Bachelors and 2 years of Experience
• Associates and 4 years of Experience
• High School Diploma and 6 years of Experience

What if a hiring manager tells their talent acquisition partner they are only looking at candidates with a Bachelors or Masters degree using the Job Description above?

OFCCP Compliance Enforcer

Here are questions for TA to pose to hiring managers:

Why do you feel that someone with 4-6 years of proven experience is incapable of performing the duties of this job?

According to OFCCP compliance we must consider all candidates that meet the Basic Qualifications of this role. If audited, are you willing to take on this risk of not considering a qualified candidate because of your education preferences? I am unwilling to take on this risk and will need to document that you refused to interview this candidate based on your education preference.

If audited, are you willing to take on this risk of not considering a qualified candidate because of your education preferences?

When Bias Meets Big Ego

What can we do? Let’s present strong talent to open the minds of our leaders. Point out current team members that did not attend the current school of choice. Challenge statements like, “ I went to _____ School/University and I can vouch for this program. I know that they produce strong talent” or “I like individuals that worked at ____ company/consulting firm because I previously worked there, and I know they hire strong talent”. These statements are rooted in both bias and big ego. Ask the hiring manager if they feel that ________ is the only school/company/consulting firm in the nation that produces strong talent like themselves. Challenge them to expose their own biases.

Calling all TA Professionals

It is our responsibility to challenge ourselves and leaders to expose the grey bias—the not-so-obvious black and white bias. If you are working at an organization where you do not have the freedom and autonomy to challenge the unconscious bias status quo, you are at the wrong company. You should not be ok recruiting talent to this organization. There are tons of Talent Acquisition jobs online. Don’t sellout for a paycheck. TA professionals are in high demand.

Questions for TA Professionals

I know, I know, no one loves homework, but sitting down and answering these questions now can help you be better prepared when faced with them later.

1. What are unacceptable answers for declining a candidate for not being a “culture fit”?

2. How would you handle a hiring manager declining candidates that fit the Basic Qualifications in a role?

3. What are some biases that both you and hiring managers may have beyond race and gender?

4. A hiring manager declines a qualified candidate and says they are “weird” or “too quiet”. What do you do?

Michele Rufus is the founder of NE Diversity Search & Strategy with 18+ years of experience providing diversity recruiting, events, and strategy solutions to organizations. She is also the proud Founder of Brown Brunch, a community of Black and Latin(o,a,x) BioTech, Tech, Product, and Data talent. Michele is also a Diversity Advisor with ProvenBase a cutting-edge sourcing technology built for diverse talent pools. Keep the conversation growing with Michele on LinkedIn, Twitter, or Instagram.