Employers Hub | Are you falling into the bias trap?

Once bitten twice shy. The psychology of failure can be hard to overcome when hiring new people.

“When a good decision leads to a bad outcome, the experience of regret can bias subsequent choices: people are less likely to select the regret-producing alternative a second time, even when it is still objectively the best alternative (non-adaptive choice switching)” – Van Dijk & Zeelenberg, 2005.

Often candidates don’t even get a look in because of a past experience;

• “The last person that worked at that company didn’t work out.”
• “The last person that lived in that suburb found the commute too far.”
• “The last person with that background didn’t take to the role quickly enough.”

Bad experiences continue to cloud hiring decisions, and it’s a normal human reaction to avoid potential failure. But, on the flip side, it also means that good fits are missed before they’ve even had an interview.

The moral of the story is that every individual is different. It’s a case-by-case situation, and keeping an open, objective mind is sometimes the hardest thing to do in recruitment. But, for me, it’s also a sign of a good recruiter.

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