In informal hiring situations, managers will often devise a shortlist of potential hires. The informality of that shortlist — and the familiarity with candidates — reproduces implicit and systemic bias by its very informality. In short, hiring managers know people who look and think like them, and they are the people who typically get shortlisted and hired. Managers then end up missing out on the best talent available to them.
Brian Lucas, an assistant professor of organizational behavior at Cornell’s ILR School, finds that when you make your shortlist longer, you reduce the risk of overlooking candidates who may be better suited for the role. In this episode of the Cornell Keynotes podcast, brought to you by eCornell, Lucas joins host Chris Wofford to discuss:

• The behavioral science approach to workplace dynamics
• Informal hiring situations vs. formal recruitment
• Gender stereotyping and prototypes
• Advancement pathway audits
• Skills-based hiring
• Referrals in the hiring process
• Ways to seek out and overcome bias

Read more about Brian Lucas’s research in Harvard Business Review.

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