Fairness in Tech Assessment: What You Should Know

Tech assessment tests must occur in an objective atmosphere, with no conscious or subconscious prejudices coming in the way. 

Importance of Building Smarter Tech Teams
Globalization is shrinking the world. It also leads to a rise in the competitive spirit, especially in an ever-changing digital world/technology space. Therefore, you must ensure a competent tech team is in place, which promises to perform highly always. Such a tech team becomes the backbone of your business. It can handle rapidly changing technologies, consumer needs, and the existing competition calmly and comfortably.

Recruiting without Bias is Important
We are all human and prone to commit errors – consciously or unconsciously. Your recruiting team may commit mistakes, too, during the hiring process. A hirer’s background or personal preferences, gender bias, etc., may become an obstacle to employing a deserving candidate. 

Yale University’s study provides evidence of unconscious bias. The participants were male and female scientists, acting as recruiters. “The results found they still preferred to hire men over women, viewed them as more skilled, and were willing to offer about $4,000 more per year in salary.”

Therefore, if the tech talent acquisition process is fair, you will have a smart tech team in place. Every member will be happy to stay on and contribute something of value towards achieving organizational goals.

Types of Hiring Bias

Affinity Bias: A specific applicant has a trait that is like yours or has a likable personality. Therefore, your attitude during and after the remote interview is warm. 

Similarity/Ingroup Bias: You go for candidates who have the same interests, hobbies, skills, etc., as you do. You forget that different positions require different competencies. 

Confirmation Bias: Your eyes and ears absorb only that information, which is in alignment with your beliefs. Therefore, the first impression becomes your best impression!

Status Quo Bias: Someone that you liked has vacated a specific position. During the remote tech hiring process, you look for a carbon copy of your absent friend. Alternatively, your traditional mindset insists that only experienced candidates will do, and freshers are worthless.

Conformity Bias: You have a different idea from the rest of the recruiting group. Yet, you believe the majority rules and go along with them.

Halo Effect: You believe that if the individual is great at handling A task, he/she will prove equally good at handling tasks B, C, and D. 

Pitchfork Effect: Someone gives you a negative impression of a particular candidate, or the individual does not do well with the first two assessments. Therefore, you automatically generalize that this person is not good. 

Expectation Anchor: The pre-hire assessment test showed that the previous candidate was better than everybody else. Therefore, you refuse to consider the ones arriving later.

Building Unbiased Tech Assessments can be Challenging
Despite having cutting-edge online employment testing tools in place, personal bias is still a possibility. For instance, first impressions can be wrong/negative. They can create unconscious subjectivity. This is nonverbal bias.

Sometimes, you project your beliefs, goals, priorities, etc., onto the candidate. But, when reality reveals itself to be different, it leads to disappointment. The worst is, you refuse to look at everyone differently since you are inundated with resumes and interviews.

Tips and Guidelines for Fairness in Tech Assessments

Advanced Preparation: Any kind of examination requires careful planning. It makes no sense to just throw together assessments just on the eve of the actual date. 

Planned Assessments: Have clarity regarding the goals related to the conduction of these assessments. What kind of candidates are you expecting to apply, and what would you expect from them? 

Multiple Reviews: It would help to have a few others go through your tech assessment preparations. Their suggestions and approvals could help, especially if they are more experienced than you are.

Clarity: Note that your applicants come from diverse backgrounds and cultures. Therefore, keep instructions regarding the tech assessments very lucid and simple. 

Objectivity: Every assessment must be unbiased and fair to both male and female candidates and diverse backgrounds.

Large-Scale Assessment Tools: It might help try the tools on a small group to see if they are working appropriately first. This group may behave like real test-takers, even thinking aloud. 

AI-enabled tech assessment tool Oto_Code can screen applicants based purely on whether they meet the tech skill requirement or business objective. This eliminates time and geographical constraints and all biases, helping recruiters focus more energy on screening the potential candidates than making sure their qualifications match what a company needs.An increasing number of people are opting to work remotely. The Internet platform suffices to bring everyone together, regardless of geographical location. People are even ready to adjust to new work cultures. The future should be able to view greater diversity in the workforce and work. Work is bound to become more inclusive and competitive. Therefore, personal biases must come down drastically during the hiring process.