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Your job interview is tomorrow. You know your
appearance will matter, so you polish your shoes and
brush your hair. You realize your interviewer will
have your resume in hand, so you've come prepared to
explain every minute detail included on it. You've
even done practice interviews and prepared your
responses to all the trick questions. Are you ready?
Not yet.
There remains a single type of preparation that you
should do that can make or break your interview -
knowing how to handle the possible biases of an
interviewer. You need this knowledge because of a
simple reality; interviews are subjective, no matter
how many objective indicators are introduced.
Interviewers are human, and all carry with them some
assumptions about different types of people. Despite
what may be valid attempts to leave these
assumptions behind in the process, even the most
earnest interviewer may be letting some of these
biases make their way into the decision-making
process.
You're not likely to be able to change the bias
itself in the short duration of the interview, and
you may not be able to recognize it with so much
else going on. You can, however, increase the
chances that the interviewer will not apply their
biases or assumptions toward you. This means
preparing for the possible biases of an interviewer
before you encounter him/her. You therefore need to
recognize the most likely biases people have toward
you and prepare to address these biases in
interviews to minimize their impact.
Pinpointing Potential
Biases
Many people think biases surround visible
differences that people have, like race, gender, or
appearance. This is true. However, biases usually
run much deeper and assumptions are made about a
number of other potential differences you may have
with your interviewer. An interviewer may
unconsciously make assumptions about you based on
the way that you speak, your age, or any of the
background information you have listed on your
resume.
To
figure out some of the biases that may surface, give
some thought to comments people have made to you in
the past that surprised you. Have people thought you
were much younger or older than you actually are?
Have they assumed you were less intelligent because
of your accent? Have you been labeled because of the
way you dress? Have people been surprised to learn
something in particular about you? Make a list of
some of these assumptions or obstacles that could
impede on the interviewer from seeing you as the
best candidate.
Use
your friends to add to your recollection. Ask them
what their first impressions of you were. Colleagues
from the past are especially valuable since they
know you in a work atmosphere and work attire. Have
friends read through your resume and create a list
of five statements they would make about you based
on your resume. Ask them to limit their responses to
information on the resume and explain your goal in
the exercise so you get honest answers. Combine
these statements with ones people have made about
you in the past and keep a list handy with all of
these assumptions.
The Information
Inundation Technique
Once you get a sense for the impression you make and
the biases people may have against you, make sure
you address them. You should still be focused on
demonstrating why you are a qualified candidate for
the job. Therefore, while delivering persuasive
responses to interviewer questions, saturate your
responses with information that will also undo
biases. Here are some suggestions:
1.
Match their speech and behaviors. It is a good idea
in general to match your interviewers in terms of
their speech and behaviors for etiquette purposes.
If an interviewer is formal in their speech, you
should be as well. If they sit up straight, don't
slouch. This will help reduce assumptions they make
about you based on differences they perceive they
have from you.
2.
Acknowledge & Spin It. If you sense a bias, don't be
afraid to address what it is you think is being held
against you. If you have an accent, explain what you
do to make yourself understood. If you are young,
note it, but also explain what your age adds and
focus more on the experiences you have had that
makes you worthy of the position. If you are a woman
working in a male-dominated profession, explain what
you can add to the position very specifically
because you are female. Make a point to show the
value of the aspect in question.
3.
Find a connection. When you get the chance to ask
your own questions at the end of the interview, work
to establish a connection with your interviewer. Ask
them what they like about the company in question,
and communicate your ability to relate to some of
the traits he or she identifies. Make a point of
smiling and try to be friendly. An open,
communicative style on your part is helpful to
address any negative biases that person may
unconsciously be holding against you.
4.
Communicate your Bridge Building potential. A
successful job candidate is not only someone who can
do the job, but someone who can work in the
organization's culture and be able to do the job
well in the long run. Interviewers with biases may
assume that you will not fit well into the
organization's culture because of your differences.
Communicate your ability to work with different
people, think from different perspectives, and be
open-minded. Give examples. Ask about the company
culture and talk about your ability to work with and
relate to different people.
5.
Make it a strength. Have you had to deal with this
someone who has been biased before because of
something about the way you are? Use the experience
to show your interviewer how you successfully
overcame a difficulty. Emphasize the learning and
growth you experienced as a result. This can help an
interviewer recognize that their own unconscious
bias is impacting their impressions. Make sure you
don't insinuate in any way that your interviewer is
biased. Your job in the interview is to demonstrate
that you are a highly-skilled individual equipped to
do the job for which you are applying. Critiquing
your interviewer is not a step in the right
direction.
6.
Assume you are the best person for the position.
Have you noticed that it is that much harder to sit
up straight when you are feeling down in the dumps?
Most people show their emotions in one way or
another, and facing a biased interviewer is likely
to stir some serious emotions of anger, frustration,
devastation, or defeat. It is important to push
through these feelings during the interview so that
it doesn't impact your demeanor during the rest of
the interview. You can decide later whether you want
to work for the company the interviewer represents.
7.
Make a Habit of it. Finally, get into the habit of
building bias prep into your interview prep. Build
these techniques into your responses and practice
saying them so you are comfortable in the interview.
Have a friend role-play the biased interview. Make
it realistic. How will you face this practice
situation?
Interview bias exists, but it doesn't have to impact
your potential to get hired. Use these techniques to
improve your chances of getting hired based on your
qualifications and motivation rather than being
excluded because of interviewer bias.
Simma Lieberman helps organizations create
environments where people can do their best work and
be successful. She specializes in Diversity and
Inclusion, Diversity Dialogues, and Eliminating Fear
and Self-doubt. Simma is the co-author with Kate
Berardo and George Simons of the book "Putting
Diversity to Work." She can be reached at
http://www.simmalieberman.com.
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