Several common measures – such as hiring a diversity officer, providing diversity training, or having a diverse board of directors – were not correlated with a decrease in discrimination when from entry-level hiring, the researchers found.
But one thing strongly predicted a reduction in discrimination: a centralized HR operation.
The researchers recorded the voice messages received by the fake candidates. When a company’s calls came from a small number of individual telephone numbers, suggesting they came from a central office, there was usually less bias. When they came from individual hiring managers at local stores or warehouses, there were more. These messages often seemed frantic and informal, such as asking if a candidate could start the next day.
“This is where implicit bias comes into play,” Professor Kline said. A more formalized recruiting process helps overcome this problem, he said: “Just thinking about things, what steps to take, having to submit something to someone for approval, can be very important to reduce prejudice. »
It is by Claire Cain Miller and Josh Katz in the New York Times.
