How Implicit Bias can Impact the Selection Process


One thing that is still present in not only the selection process for a new employee but in all aspects of life, is implicit bias. Implicit bias can affect a lot of people and without being confronted creates a culture of hate. In the selection process a lot of people may experience some implicit biased based on their race, gender, age, weight, or even height. This is unfair to the people applying for these roles if they are discriminated against not based on their actual skills or experience but on something that has to do with their physical appearance. 

I chose to participate in the Harvard implicit attitude test for race. I believe myself to hold no racial biased when I meet a new person and only like to judge people based on my personal experience with the. I am from the Island of Oahu and from a young age I always grew up with people from all races and parts of the world. I also learned growing up that the way someone looks does not determine the type of person they are. My results from the test confirmed that I do not have an automatic preference between black and white people. I chose to do the race test because I think that dealing with implicit bias based on race is the most common in our world today compared to other categories. 

Implicit bias could not only affect the interviewer in a negative way but also the company performing the interviews. They could end up hiring an employee that is underqualified and not fit for the position just because the other candidates might have been of a different skin color, or a woman. These bias need to change to create a fair work environment for all people. 

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