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Have you ever assumed someone after meeting them for the first time, which turned out not to be true?  

Or, conversely, you like someone because their appearance or mannerisms remind you of someone else. Then you hire them based on that "gut feeling," only to be disappointed later. 

If you are hiring a dental professional like a dentist, hygienist, or dental office receptionist for your dental office you will be able to hire the best candidate for the job with greater certainty if you learn how to identify and reduce our screening and hiring bias.  

That is what we will cover in today's article — tips on reducing bias in the hiring process as you build your dental team for your office. 

Let's get started . . . 

What is Hiring Bias? 

According to research, the hiring process is biased and unfair. Who gets hired is heavily influenced by unconscious racism, ageism, and sexism. The good news is that you can take steps to reduce unconscious biases. 

The first step? 

Knowing what hiring bias is. 

Hiring bias is . . . 

​​Hiring bias is an inclination, opinion, or feeling about a person that we form when deciding whether or not they are qualified for a job. Those feelings, opinions, and views could be influenced by anything from the clothes they wear to their accent to the neighborhood in which they live. 

Sometimes it occurs based on a name, presumed sex, or race. Hiring bias can hinder the development of a diverse workforce and the ability to find and recruit highly qualified professionals to join your term. 

Now that we have an understanding of what hiring bias let's take a look at some tips on how to reduce bias in the hiring process. . . 

5 Action Steps to Reduce Bias in the Hiring Process 

A better understanding of how bias affects hiring and promotion decisions and what can be done to mitigate its effects is a significant concern for those hiring not only in the dental field but in all fields of employment, from education and healthcare to hospitality and human resource professionals. 

Those in human resource roles like dentists and office managers' perceptions of job applicants' competence and attitudes toward affirmative action programs can help reduce bias in the hiring process. 

Wonder how else you can reduce bias in the hiring process? 

Here are five tips: 

1. Aim for Simplicity and Reduce Complexity: Seek out software and other analytical tools that will help you standardize the hiring process. 
2. Update and Experiment with Job Descriptions: Experiment with the wording of your job listings by removing gender-specific adjectives.  
3. Conduct a Work Sample Test: The best predictors of future performance are tests that mimic the types of tasks the candidate will be doing on the job. When hiring for a dental office, a working interview for dentists, assistants, or hygienists can be a viable option at this step. 
4. Create Uniformity in the Interview Process: Make interviews more uniform. Ask each candidate the same questions, and grade their responses using an interview scorecard. 
5. Establish Diversity Objectives: Leaders should track how well they are performing and meeting their goals. This encourages others in the organization to prioritize equality in the dental office and in the hiring process. 

More Information

• The Job Offer: The Complete Guide for Dentists and Hiring Managers
• 5 Things You Should Research About A Candidate Online
• Our 10 Tips To Write The Best Job Posting
• Why Is Hiring The Right Person Vital?
• 3 Tips for Getting Through that Stack of Resumes
• How to Hire the Best Dental Employees
• 5 Tips for Interviewing Potential Dental Employees

References: 

Moore, O., Susskind, A. M., & Livingston, B. (2016, November 28). Do you look like me? how bias affects affirmative action in hiring. Do You Look Like Me? How Bias Affects Affirmative Action in Hiring. Retrieved June 13, 2022, from https://ecommons.cornell.edu/handle/1813/70981 

 

    

 

 

 

 

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