One area where we see a considerable level of hidden hiring bias is level of education, or to coin the phrase created by social psychologists, "Educationism".
Researchers found clear evidence that educated people are implicitly biased against the less educated.
To explain this using the language of the ‘bias-academics’, we all form part of different“in-groups” - social groups to which a person psychologically identifies as being a member. Our unconscious biases cause us to make decisions in favour of individuals in our in-groups to the detriment of others.
Educationism can manifest itself unconsciously, and also sometimes overtly within the recruitment process. We often see managers listing a specific level of education or qualification requirements in their job descriptions, when the reality is that it's not required for the role.
Understandably, specifying a degree can often be a comfort blanket for managers to ensure a baseline of education and knowledge, and it definitely makes the screening process easier for recruiters: if you don’t have the qualification, you don’t make the short-list.
A degree requirement is not a good indicator of candidate ability. But is a degree qualification really an indicator of a candidate's ability to perform well in the role? Not according to Google.
"Numbers and grades alone did not prove to spell success at Google and are no longer used as hiring criteria" "For years, candidates were screened according to SAT scores and college
grade-point averages, metrics favored by its founders". Prasad Setty, VP, People Analytics, Google
But, after extensive analysis into high performance and retention, they found that “numbers
and grades alone did not prove to spell success at Google and are no longer used as important
hiring criteria”
Further research backs up Google’s conclusion. A recent study into employers who switched
to hiring university educated graduates over previously hired high-school grads, found no
improvement in the quality of work, performance, productivity or revenue with the upgrade in
education level.
Educationalism Screens Out Potential High-Performing Candidates
There are undoubtedly roles where qualifications are essential. But there is a strong argument
that says a degree should only really be a requirement for a specialised position, like a doctor
or lawyer or for specialist subjects where in-depth knowledge is required that can only
be gained through study or extensive training.
By specifying requirements for a specific degree, where none is necessary, you are baking
bias into the process and blocking prospective high-potential candidates. You just need to
look at the stats to understand the impact this might have.
In the US, 34% of the population has a Bachelors degree, less than the UK (27%). So, if you
are specifying the requirement for a degree and screening on this in your recruitment
process, then you are actively EXCLUDING over 66% of the population. Such as
individuals who did not have the opportunity go to university - or who chose not to – but
who might have worked their way up the career ladder and be perfect for the role
"My best software developers do not have a degree in computer science, one has an Arts Degree and the other a Degree in Ceramics" RoleMapper User
In the US, only 13% have a masters qualification. If you are asking for a Masters, that’s 87%
excluded from your shortlist. It’s often done without thinking, “this is what we’ve always asked
for”. It stems from an inherent bias towards qualifications.
The education landscape is changing. Recently there has been a big push towards
apprentice schemes and encouraging people to head straight into work and gain
experience from the ground up. Going forward, post-COVID, we may see a decline in
university attendance with candidates preferring to head straight into the workplace. So,
the concept of Educationism bias in your recruitment process will only have an increased
impact on your ability to attract talent.
Break Educationism Bias With Intelligent Job Design
In summary, degree and technical qualifications may be appropriate requirements for some
roles but for the majority they are not. If you are posting positions that require a degree
where it is not absolutely essential, it may well be costing you the best, most creative and
diverse people in the market.
How do you make a shift and eliminate these biases? You need to go back to where you
define these requirements in the first place. It’s when we design our jobs and create our
job descriptions. By adopting an intelligent inclusive job design approach you can
challenge the requirement for a degree or specific qualifications.
Wherever this process may happen in the business – job profiling, job description
creation, job advert creation, screening and interviewing – you ensure only the essential
criteria required to perform well in the role are promoted, screened and hired.
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