February 18, 2020
Article originally posted on Forbes February 18, 2020 by Maryann Reid with quotes by Melissa Majors.
Neuroscience tells us that our brains unconsciously prefer familiarity. The hiring process is, unfortunately, subject to the influence of these thoughts.
Including a gender requirement, is the start of significant progress. However, women of color may be under considered due to intersectionality; the cumulation of difference as compared to those who hold the power (dominants). The more different you are from the dominants, the more likely you are to experience exclusion.
Given that most dominants on corporate boards are white men, if the choice is between two qualified women, one white and one of color, unconscious bias suggests the hiring committee will favor the white woman because she is less different.
Board positions offer substantial career advantages such as exposure, impact, and even additional income. Women of color can be excluded from these opportunities if bias isn’t mitigated in the selection process. Blind screening candidates and redacted resume review, as offered by companies like TalVista, can reduce bias from negatively influencing women of color’s chances of securing board positions.
About TalVista
Seeing beyond the obvious, TalVista, a woman-owned business, provides a view beyond the noise of unconscious bias in the hiring process. Now businesses can be more inclusive from the job description to the resume review and through to the interviewing process. Based on research, the words we use will reveal either our inclusive or exclusionary tendencies. Companies who combine our job description optimization and redacted resume reviewing with scripted and structured interviews now have a SaaS platform for conscious inclusion decision-making. With greater inclusivity and a more diverse and skilled workforce companies report increased employee engagement, stronger brand perception, reduced legal risk, and improved financial returns. For more information, visit www.talvista.com.
