My results from the Brief Implicit link Test (BIAT) indicated that “Exercise” and “Good” had a weak implicit link. To put it another way, these tests use reaction-time patterns to determine the strength of an automatic association. I answered a little quicker when “Exercise” was linked with “Good” than when it was paired with “Bad.”
The most crucial thing, in my opinion, is how to appropriately interpret that outcome. The purpose of the IAT/BIAT is to quantify automatic associations, not to categorize someone as “biased” or forecast precisely how a particular individual will conduct during an interview or recruiting process. IAT scores are more useful for identifying trends and averages across groups or contexts, and researchers have frequently warned against using them as a “palm-reading” technique for individual outcomes.
Implicit bias is important in the hiring and selection process because subtle, instinctive biases can subtly affect judgment in unclear situations, such as evaluating a leadership presence, confidence, “culture fit,” or a gap in a resume. My BIAT finding supports the general premise that our brains make quick associations that might influence decisions without our knowledge, even if it relates to exercise rather than a social category.
Using organized interviews with a consistent rubric which includes the same questions for each candidate, an anchored rating scale, and notes pertaining to job-specific criteria is one practical way I would avoid or combat implicit bias in hiring. Reliability and perceived fairness of recruiting outcomes are enhanced as a result of less “gut feel” and more consistent decision-making.
