Session Overview

Uncover the unconscious biases that can influence decision-making at every stage of the recruitment and selection process. This session invites participants to reflect on how unexamined assumptions, about qualifications, experience, “fit,” and potential, can impact the fairness and inclusivity of hiring outcomes. Drawing on real-world examples and research, we will explore how bias may manifest differently in staff versus faculty searches and how these patterns can influence candidate pools, interview experiences, and final selections. Through a blend of guided exercises, discussion, and reflection, participants will gain tools to identify, interrupt, and mitigate bias in ways that strengthen equity and excellence in hiring.

During this interactive session, participants will:

• Learn about common types of unconscious bias that emerge during recruitment, evaluation, and selection processes.

• Explore how bias can take different forms in staff searches compared to faculty searches, including differing evaluation criteria, processes, and expectations.

• Engage in guided reflection to recognize personal and systemic patterns of bias.

• Participate in practical exercises designed to strengthen decision-making and minimize bias in interviews and candidate assessments.

• Practice strategies to promote equitable treatment and inclusion at every stage of the hiring process.

• Consider ways to embed bias mitigation into search committee norms, policies, and evaluation tools.

By the end of the session, participants will be able to:

• Recognize key moments where bias can enter the recruitment and selection process.

• Apply specific strategies to reduce bias and create more equitable candidate experiences.

• Differentiate between individual and structural bias, and address both in their hiring practices.

• Align recruitment processes with institutional values of fairness, diversity, and excellence.

Facilitators: Jasmine A. Lee Associate Vice President for Community & Culture & Walter Parrish, Assistant Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs