In the technology industry, there is an increasing focus on improving diversity and inclusion. However, interview practices often unintentionally disadvantage underrepresented groups. Studies show women, people of color, older candidates, and others face implicit bias during the interview process.
“We believe that interviews should never be a barrier to recognizing talent, skill, and ability in candidates regardless of their background,” says Dr. D Sangeeta, CEO of Gotara, an online business leadership acceleration platform used by over 30,000 women across 176 countries. “Our platform is built on empowering women across a multitude of industries to advance, and equitable interview practices are a necessity to make that possible.”
By taking proactive steps to remove bias from interviews, companies can work towards building more diverse, creative, and innovative teams. This article provides practical tips and guidelines for making interviews as fair and gender-neutral as possible.
Use Structured Interview Techniques
Unstructured interviews that rely on the “gut feeling” of the interviewer often introduce unconscious bias. Structured techniques that assess all candidates on the same predefined criteria can help reduce this. Some examples include:
- Ask the same core technical questions of all candidates for a given role. Avoid asking different questions based on irrelevant factors like educational background.
- Use standardized rating scales when evaluating responses instead of general impressions. Train interviewers on how to apply the scales.
- Limit discussions around previous experience to focus on concrete skills a candidate possesses rather than perceived pedigree of past companies.
Prioritize Skills Over Cultural Fit
Seeking candidates that “fit” with company culture can reinforce homogeneity if not approached carefully. Technical skills should be the priority evaluation criteria. Only assess cultural alignment based on how a candidate demonstrates inclusiveness, cooperation and values that align with diversity goals.
“Seeking candidates that “fit” with company culture can reinforce homogeneity if not approached carefully,” explains Dr. D. Sangeeta, CEO of Gotara. “Technical skills should be the priority evaluation criteria. One always benefits from having complementary skills rather than a clone of themselves. When interviews are structured around skills rather than subjective impressions of candidates, it opens doors for those facing systemic biases and works towards undoing historical barriers many have faced.”
Train a Diverse Panel of Interviewers
Ensure women, people of color and other underrepresented groups are well-represented among the panel of technical interviewers. This helps reduce the impact of any one interviewer’s unconscious biases. Require all members to complete unconscious bias training regularly and train them how to conduct unbiased interviews, training that Gotara offers.
Conduct Interviews Remotely When Possible
In-person interviews allow subconscious biases related to race, age and appearance to seep in. Remote video interviews place more focus on responses and technical abilities. However, take care that communication differences across cultures are not penalized. Provide options for interviewees to ask clarifying questions.
Institute Blind Review Procedures
During initial screening stages, remove all identifying candidate details from resumes/applications before review. Later stages can reveal this information, but initial assessment remains tied to skills. Automated tools can help facilitate blind screening at scale.
Additionally, when possible conduct technical code reviews in a blind manner, hiding any indication of the author’s identity or demographic background to reduce the chance of implicit bias creeping in.
Standardize Evaluation of Experience
Ask candidates to describe projects and impact rather than rely on the notoriety of previous companies. Discount work experience timelines when assessing older candidates. Focus on relevant skills vs. years of experience, which can be indirectly influenced by systemic biases. Provide clear guidance on how this expectation is applied evenly across candidates.
Highlight Company DEI Commitments
Ensure candidates see a visible demonstration of diversity, equity and inclusion commitments from leadership. Share actionable plans and metrics around improving representation.
Allow candidates space to ask questions and assess your commitment to DEI as a company. Be prepared to address concerns around previous diversity numbers or experiences at your organization.
Support Growth from Day One
In your offer to the candidate, once they pass the interview process, demonstrate that you care about their future growth by offering upskilling and coaching in the first six months, like one of Gotara’s programs. Not only does this show your commitment, but it will significantly decrease ramp-up time for that candidate to become productive and proficient in the new role, leading to increase engagement and future retention.
Guide Interviewers on Inclusive Communication
Provide tips for avoiding exclusionary language and establishing an inclusive tone during interviews. For example, using gender-neutral pronouns until indicated otherwise and avoiding assumptions about family status.
Interview panel training should cover nonverbal communication as well, such as making eye contact with all candidates equally and being aware of any differential body language responding to certain demographics.
Encourage Interview Feedback
Gather structured feedback from all interview candidates on their experience, including perceptions of unfair bias or discrimination. Track trends to detect issues. Ensure a transparent process for safely reporting any incidents without fear of retaliation, which would suppress reporting.
Monitor Outcomes and Iterate
Collect voluntary demographic data during hiring and track offer rates across gender, race and other factors. If disparities arise in offer rates, analyze results to detect where bias enters the process. Refine approach to address issues. Report metrics and progress regularly to leadership.
Set Goals for Representation
Leadership should define clear targets for diversity at all levels of technical roles. Measure effectiveness of updated interview practices on hitting goals. Link outcomes to executive accountability. Make plans incremental to give adequate ramp up time but maintain urgency through regular check-ins.
Inclusive Interviewing Drives Real Change
Removing subtle but substantial biases from technical interviews is a complex undertaking but pays dividends in building a more diverse workforce positioned for innovation success. The above steps require dedication but enable organizations to tap talent that may have otherwise been left behind.
Updating technical interview approaches needs to be part of a comprehensive strategy focused on achieving diversity, equity and inclusion milestones. Paired with adjustments in outreach, hiring manager expectations, onboarding and corporate culture, equitable interviews can serve as a key lever in transforming representation.
“Removing subtle but substantial biases from technical interviews is a complex undertaking, but pays dividends in building a more diverse workforce positioned for innovation success,” says Dr. D Sangeeta, CEO of business leadership acceleration platform Gotara. “The ripple effect in innovation is immeasurable when teams reflect diverse perspectives.”
The technology solutions we build are powered by the creativity of our teams. Ensuring people from all backgrounds can equitably demonstrate qualifications will drive innovation that represents the full diversity of our users and moves society positively forward. But we will only unlock the full potential of our talent through a systemic commitment to progress on representation.