Improving your hiring process, according to a former Google recruiter

Improving your hiring process, according to a former Google recruiterFor years, Google has been considered kind of a gold standard in the tech recruiting and hiring field. Its not just the lavish cafeteria or the geek-utopia vibe that has made the company such a giant and lasting successmuch of the credit goes to smart hiring strategies and implementing an adaptive approach. If youre looking to make your organization mora Google-esque in your hiring (regardless of what field youre in), former Google recruiter Kevin Grice has some fantastic insight into what you can do on a practical level.Recognize your unconscious biases.Most organizations have come in line with non-discriminatory policies that seek to eliminate blatant bias in hiring. But no matter how strict those policies are, or how conscious we are of hiring a qualified person without regard for their personal gender, religion, or race, unconscious bias will likely always come into play. For example, studies have found that peo ple with identifiably ethnic names receive fewer interviews. And while unconscious bias means (by its very nature) that we dont know exactly why were rejecting a person, its important to be aware that it exists and to evaluate whether it could be at play in any given step of the process.According to Grice, using systematic, consistent interviews is one way to limit bias. After all, if every candidate is answering the same questions at the same point in the process, its less likely that youre asking a particular question because you have made an assumption about the interviewee. It also makes your job easier when it comes to evaluate and differentiate each candidate.Dont look for your doppelganger.Speakingof bias, according to Grice, people tend to be drawn toward others who remindthem of themselves, and organizations want to bring in people who fit in with aparticular vibe. Its basic human nature, which means it will inevitably comeinto play during the hiring process. And unfortunat ely, a philosophy of I like you because you remind me of myself leads to less diversity in your talent pool. With increased diversity anon-negotiable goal for so many organizations, specifically looking for peoplewith different backgrounds or experiences is a way to increase that diversitythroughout the hiring process.Research the person youre interviewing.Justabout every candidate who comes through your door for an interview will havespent time prepping for it researching your company, reading up on the jobdescription, tailoring their resume to the job. Its not only common courtesyto do some prep work yourself, but also, according to Grice, an opportunity toshow off your well-oiled organizational brand to your potential new hire.