The Biased Approach Pt.1

Hiring fails when bias pretends to be intuition

Bias is not an exception in recruitment.

It is the default.

We all filter the world through our experiences, preferences, fears, and blind spots.

The issue is not that bias exists.

The issue is that we pretend it doesn’t — especially in hiring.

Three patterns show up often:

1. Keyword dependence.

When we reduce candidates to keywords, we filter out people who think differently, speak differently, or come from non-traditional paths.

We don’t screen for capability; we screen for similarity.

2. Experience over attitude.

Experience is visible and easy to measure.

Attitude, thinking style, and emotional resilience are subtler but often more decisive for long-term value.

Overvaluing experience can freeze organizations in the past.

3. Emotional absence from interviewers.

When interviewers are distracted, rushed, or disengaged, candidates feel it.

That emotional experience becomes data:

“This place doesn’t really see people.”

Fixing this doesn’t start with tools.

It starts with awareness.

We can:

• design evaluation systems that mix skills, behavior, and emotional drivers

• use structured, human-centered questions instead of relying only on gut feeling

• train interviewers to listen, not just interrogate

The goal is not to eliminate bias completely.

That’s unrealistic.

The goal is to reduce its impact — so we can give more people a fair chance, and build teams that think, feel, and work in more human, adaptive ways.