As part of this week’s assignments, I took the Implicit Association Test (IAT), and my results showed that I was moderately faster at associating Black people with negative words and White people with positive words than the opposite pairing. Seeing this result was uncomfortable, but also really eye-opening. It reinforced the idea that implicit bias isn’t something people consciously choose. Instead, it’s shaped over time by culture, media, and social experiences, often without us realizing it.
When it comes to hiring, implicit bias can impact both the reliability and validity of selection decisions. Reliability is about consistency, while validity is about whether decisions are actually based on job-related qualifications. If a hiring manager unconsciously views certain candidates more favorably because of race, names, or background, then candidates with similar skills may be evaluated differently. That makes the process less consistent and weakens how accurately it measures what really matters for the job.
Implicit bias is especially likely to show up in more subjective parts of the hiring process, like resume reviews or unstructured interviews. Even with good intentions, people often rely on “gut feelings,” and research shows those instincts can be influenced by unconscious bias (Scientific American, n.d.). Over time, these small judgments can add up and lead to patterns that disadvantage certain groups, even when an organization believes it is being fair.
One way to help reduce the impact of implicit bias is to use more structured and standardized hiring practices. This includes asking all candidates the same interview questions, using clear scoring criteria, and focusing on specific skills rather than general impressions. These steps don’t eliminate bias completely, but they do help limit its influence and make hiring decisions more consistent, fair, and job-related.
References
Scientific American. (n.d.). How to think about implicit bias. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-to-think-about-implicit-bias/
Better Homes & Gardens Real Estate. (n.d.). Understanding implicit bias. https://bhgrecareer.com/bebetterblog/implicit-bias/
