How to Prevent Implicit Bias in Hiring

Hiring decisions should be based on skills, potential, and alignment with company goals — not on assumptions, stereotypes, or gut feelings. Yet even the most well-intentioned hiring managers fall prey to implicit bias — the automatic attitudes and stereotypes that unconsciously influence how we perceive others.

Common Examples of Implicit Bias in Hiring

You may not even realize it, but these behaviors and thoughts often stem from implicit bias:

• Assuming a candidate who took a career break is less ambitious

• Feeling a stronger culture fit with someone who shares your background

• Feeling a candidate “just fits better” without defining what that means

• Favoring a candidate because they attended a well-known university — even if another has stronger real-world experience

• Unconsciously questioning leadership potential in a woman applying for a senior technical role

• Favoriting an extroverted candidate for leadership roles, regardless of qualifications

• Reading a “foreign-sounding” name and assuming language or communication barriers

  
  

These aren’t always intentional thoughts — but they can have a real impact on who gets to the front of the line, who is overlooked, and what kind of team you ultimately build.

7 Proven Ways to Reduce Implicit Bias in Hiring

1. Standardize Interviews

Use structured interviews with set questions and a structured process to keep evaluations consistent and focused on job-related competencies.

2. Blind Resume Reviews

Remove names, photos, and other demographic identifiers during the early stages of screening to allow the candidate’s experience to speak for itself.

3. Focus on Skills, Not Schools

Prioritize skills-based evaluations over academic pedigree or brand-name employers.

4. Use Diverse Interviewers

Broaden your interview team beyond just HR and the hiring manager to include a range of perspectives and minimize group bias.

5. Revisit Your Job Descriptions

Language can subtly signal who “belongs.” For example:

• Gender-coded words: “Ninja,” “rockstar,” “aggressive,” and “dominant” often skew masculine.

• Exclusionary phrases: “Must have native English fluency,” or “recent graduate” can unintentionally keep people from applying.

• Use neutral, inclusive language like “collaborative,” “detail-oriented,” or “effective communicator.”

  
  

6. Make Applications and Forms Inclusive

Ensure job applications allow for a full range of identities and experiences, such as:

• Inclusive gender options beyond just “male/female”

• The ability to self-identify pronouns

• Avoiding required fields that may disadvantage non-traditional paths (e.g., requiring GPA, graduation year, or citizenship status when not legally necessary)

7. Don’t Assume — Ask

Before passing on a candidate, pause and consider whether you’re making an assumption that only the candidate could confirm.

• Think someone is overqualified and might be bored? That is not your decision to make. They may be seeking stability, a career shift, or better work-life balance.

• See an unfinished degree? It could be due to financial constraints, caregiving, or other life circumstances — not a lack of commitment. We can’t begin to assume we know how hard someone has worked for what they achieved.

When in doubt, ask thoughtful questions instead of filling in the blanks for someone.

How Everly Talent Reduces Implicit Bias in Our Own Recruitment

At Everly we believe in living out what we advise. Our approach to talent sourcing and evaluation is designed to reduce implicit bias at every step — so that the best candidates, from all backgrounds, rise to the top.

Here’s how we do it:

✅Anonymous Candidate Submissions

When we present candidates to clients, we can present profiles anonymously in the early stages — removing names and other identifiers so initial evaluations are purely skills-focused.

✅ Skills-Based Talent Vetting

We evaluate candidates through structured interviews and a skills checklist aligned with the specific role — not where they went to school or who they’ve worked for in the past.

✅ Inclusive Sourcing Strategies

Our team actively sources candidates from a variety of networks and communities to ensure we are tapping into diverse talent pools — not just those that are easiest to find or traditionally “familiar.”

✅ Internal Review Checkpoints

Before candidates are submitted to clients, our internal team conducts cross-checks to ensure selections are based on objective criteria, not personal preference or unconscious assumptions.

✅ Language-Reviewed Job Postings

We help clients (and ourselves) create inclusive job descriptions that avoid gender-coded or biased language, ensuring we attract a wider pool of qualified applicants.

✅ Check Our B-List

We will always present the candidates we believe are the best possibilities, but we can also send the candidates we screened and ruled out for the job, so you can cross-check our work and make sure we are on the right track, too!

Final Thought

Eliminating implicit bias is an ongoing effort. But it’s worth the time, as it produces more innovative teams, and equitable access to opportunity.

At Everly Talent, we don’t just recommend best practices — we live them in our own recruiting process. If you're ready to build a hiring strategy that’s fair, efficient, and designed for long-term success, we’re here to help.

Let’s build better, more inclusive teams — together.