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FLO IDEA Hiring Toolkit

Reviewing Practices

Equity Lens: Candidate Pool Review

An Equity Lens is an intentional way to hire inclusively during the hiring process by preventing biases and preparing evaluation criteria based on quality of hire and diversity of applicants and hires. Each step of the process can use an Equity Lens.

  • Have stakeholders (e.g. Hiring committees, HR department, faculty and staff) been introduced to using the equity lens when reviewing and evaluating an applicant?
  • In what ways does our candidate pool reflect diverse identities?
  • Does the candidate pool reflect a diversity of perspectives, races, colors, religions, sexes (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity), national origins, ages, abilities, and neurodiversity?
  • Do the candidates have a wide range of transferable life and work experiences?
  • Are the candidates selected aligned with the qualifications?
  • Have we created a list of strengths and areas of growth, aligned with required and preferred qualifications, for each finalist for the hiring manager to have in their hiring decision?

Bias Reduction Strategies

A bias reduction strategy list could help reduce bias by incorporating the following points into the interview process:

(Houk & Nielsen, 2023, Appendix A)

  • Use rubrics to evaluate candidates’ responses to interview questions
  • Provide training or reminders to employees regarding appropriate interview questions
  • Require members of the hiring committee to participate in training that focuses on bias reduction in hiring
  • Take steps to ensure the composition of hiring committees is diverse and reflects the diversity the library wants to recruit
  • Use rubrics to evaluate candidates generally/evaluate overall performance/presentation during the visit

Mitigate Bias in Hiring with a Simple Rubric

  1. Write down 3-5 must-haves and define the bar for them
  2. Assemble your team
  3. Share the rubric and get aligned
  4. For each round, have your interviewers fill out the rubric and debrief together
  5. Make your decision
  6. Revisit your rubric (optional)

(The Management Center, Hiring Rubric Starter Kit, 2018)

Example Rubrics

Applicant Matrix

Rubrics can be collected under a matrix for reviewing all applicants

  Qualification 1 Qualification 2 Qualification 3 Qualification 4 Qualification 5
  INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO APPLY RUBRIC
  DEFINITIONS OF EXCEEDS, ACCEPTABLE, AND NOT ACCEPTABLE
Applicant 1          
Applicant 2          
Applicant 3          
Applicant 4          

(Brannon & Leuzinger, 2014, p. 2)