We all want to feel accepted in the workplace, and it’s only natural for people to try and weave into circles in which they will gain a sense of ‘belonging’. Conformity, to different extents, is basic human nature. However, as a manifestation of unconscious bias, this can hinder our ability to make fair and impartial decisions. Therefore, if undetected or unaddressed amongst leaders, it can narrow our vision and limit company growth.
What is conformity bias?
Conformity bias is when our deep-seated need to belong causes us to adapt our behaviours to feel like part of the group. Rather than using personal and ethical judgment, people imitate the behaviour of others in a bid to toe the party line. This type of behaviour may be unintentional but can have a powerful impact on our ability to make unbiased decisions.
Psychologist Soloman Asch famously investigated how the social pressures of others could cause someone to conform. Over twelve critical trials, a staggering 75% of participants conformed at least once. Participants stated they weren’t certain of their conformed answer but stuck with it for fear of being judged by their peers.
Conformity bias in the workplace
There are times when conformity may help you get ahead professionally, such as adhering to a certain code of conduct or embodying a particular set of values. But when team members and candidates conform to what they feel is expected, rather than what they believe is right, it restricts creativity and innovation. In other words, how can businesses grow and improve if no one is willing to rock the boat?
Companies that allow employees to be their authentic selves and freely express their opinion often benefit from a well-rounded range of perspectives and insights. This acceptance and acknowledgement of varying opinions can drive employee engagement, harvest creativity, and boost customer satisfaction—a win-win for any company.
How does conformity bias affect recruitment?
Conformity bias is one of the major hidden slip-ups when it comes to recruitment.
Take interviews for instance. Once a candidate has left, a panel of interviewers will likely group together to share their immediate thoughts and impressions. People rarely want to be the ones with a dissenting opinion - either they don’t want to cause a fuss or they second-guess themselves upon realising that they’re in the minority. When recruiters lean towards the consensus, the candidate is no longer fairly assessed. This creates the risk of hiring the wrong candidate for the job.
Individuals who share an interviewing panel can be easily swayed by others through the desire to conform. It creeps into the interview room as recruiters follow the lead of the ‘strongest’ panel member, who may be the most opinionated, respected, or senior member. Candidates face an unfair evaluation of their abilities as their assessors opt for the majority vote, resulting in an imbalanced decision.
Using score-based assessments to avoid conformity bias
Businesses need to make hiring decisions based on an objective understanding of skills and abilities, rather than the overriding temptation to follow the crowd. This can be achieved by creating a simple numerical scale (from 1 - 5, for instance) for each interview question. By rating each person’s proficiency in an essential or desired skill, interviewers can create a process that is as objective and free of bias as possible.
Essentially, no one can argue with clear-cut figures that show who is best for the job. This creates an inarguable consensus, free of any external influences. It should be noted, however, that for this system to work there cannot be any discussions or conferring before each interviewer decides on their final scores.
We rarely make decisions in a vacuum, and hiring is no exception. However, we must acknowledge how we can be psychologically swayed to prefer one candidate over another. By keeping things fair and objective, leaders stand the best possible chance of hiring the right person for the job - an outcome that everyone can agree on.
Applied is the essential platform for fairer hiring. Purpose-built to make hiring ethical and predictive, our hiring platform offers uses anonymised applications and skills-based assessments within the applicant tracking and applicant screening process to improve diversity and identify the best talent.
Start transforming your hiring now: book in a demo or browse our ready-to-use, science-backed talent assessments.
FAQs
In the interviewing process, conformity bias refers to the tendency of individuals to want to act similarly (conform) to the other people on the hiring team. Conformity bias in hiring is often seen when candidates are interviewed via a panel.
How does bias affect the recruitment process? ›
Some of the ways unconscious bias can affect recruitment include: Candidate screening: Recruiters may unconsciously favor candidates based on factors such as name, educational background, or appearance, rather than evaluating them solely on their qualifications and experience.
What are the effects of conformity bias? ›
Conformity bias can cause people to copy others' behaviors or beliefs rather than follow their own independent judgment or wants. As a result, they feel inclined to behave similarly to those around them, regardless of their beliefs and whether those individuals hold power or authority over them.
How does conformity affect the workplace? ›
Conformity in the workplace can be dangerous because it can lead to groupthink, where individuals prioritize group harmony over critical thinking and independent decision-making. This can result in a lack of innovation, creativity, and productivity, and can stifle individual contributions and perspectives.
How does contrast bias affect a recruiter's decision-making process? ›
This is known as contrast bias, and can lead to worse quality decision-making as by doing this, you are not considering whether the candidate has the right skills for the job. Instead, you are focusing solely on whether the candidate has a stronger CV overall than another candidate.
What is an example of recruitment bias? ›
Hiring someone similar to yourself
For example, if the school in which they attended or where they live is the same as the candidate, recruiters may feel an instant pull towards that application because they share similar traits. Which will consequently lead to the presumption that they will make a good hire.
How does name bias affect recruitment? ›
In recruitment, a candidate's name affects the hiring decision through either conscious or unconscious bias motives. Taking into account a candidate's name as a reason not to hire is a prejudiced action. Shocking levels of name discrimination occur against job applicants from ethnic minority backgrounds.
What is an example of conformity bias in interviewing? ›
For example, if a panel is interviewing several candidates and there is an urgent need to fill a position, group members may conform if a strong member of the hiring team or a person of authority has formed a positive opinion of a particular candidate.
What is conformity and how does it affect us? ›
Conformity is the tendency for an individual to align their attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors with those of the people around them. Conformity can take the form of overt social pressure or subtler, unconscious influence.
What is an example of conformity effect? ›
Normative Conformity
This type of conformity involves changing one's behavior in order to fit in with a group. For example, a teenager might dress in a certain style because they want to look like their peers who are members of a particular group.
Conformity bias is the tendency to change one's beliefs or behavior to fit in with others. Instead of using their own judgment, individuals often take cues from the group they are with, belong to, or seek to belong to about what is right or appropriate. They then adapt their own behavior accordingly.
How to overcome conformity bias? ›
How to Overcome Conformity Bias. To recognize and work through conformity bias, focus on reflecting on your own beliefs and values. At the same time, you can engage in critical thinking and seek diverse perspectives and opinions from others.
What is an example of conformity in the workplace? ›
Examples of Conformity in the Workplace
For example, companies may choose not to have a strict dress code and promote a casual workplace in order to allow people to dress how they prefer.
What is recruitment attribution bias? ›
In recruiting and hiring, attribution bias can occur in either the application review or interview stages. Example: For example, a hiring manager may attribute a person's friendly disposition to their success rather than the fact that they had access to better schools or a unique skill set.
What is similarity bias in recruitment? ›
Similarity bias, or affinity bias, is the phenomenon of preferring individuals whom we see as similar to ourselves in some way. Similarity bias in the hiring process is dangerous as it can lead to preferential treatment of certain types of candidates and create an unfair recruitment process.
What is unconscious bias and how does it affect the hiring process? ›
Unconscious bias refers to the unconscious stereotypes, beliefs, and attitudes that people hold about others based on factors such as gender, race, ethnicity, age, or sexual orientation. These biases can influence decision-making, including the hiring process, without individuals being aware of them.
What is selection bias in recruitment? ›
occurs when individuals or groups in a study differ systematically from the population of interest leading to a systematic error in an association or outcome.
How does bias affect employees? ›
Employees perceiving bias or discrimination in the workplace can reduce morale and job satisfaction. This can result in decreased productivity and increased turnover rates, as employees may seek opportunities in more inclusive and welcoming environments.
What is the bias effect in HR? ›
The Challenge of HR Bias in the Workplace
HR bias refers to prejudices, conscious or unconscious, that impact human resource management decisions and processes. This includes biases in recruiting, hiring, training, compensation, performance reviews, promotions, and more.
