Unbiased Interviews: a Myth or a Mindset?
When confidence feels like competence - and why that’s a red flag.
We like to believe we’re objective when interviewing candidates.
But the truth is, many decisions aren’t based solely on skills or facts - they’re filtered through our experience, assumptions, and emotions (automatic). These filters are called cognitive biases.
In this article:
what cognitive biases are
the most common ones in hiring
how they influence decision-making
how to reduce their impact - personally, as a team, and within your hiring process
free tools to help you interview smarter
What Are Cognitive Biases?
Cognitive biases are systematic errors in our thinking that affect how we interpret information, analyze situations, and make decisions.
They’re part of our brain’s autopilot - helpful for making fast judgments, but not always accurate.
🧠 The term was coined by Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky in the 1970s.
📘 Kahneman later won a Nobel Prize for his work on decision-making psychology.
5 Common Hiring Biases You Might Not Notice
1. Halo Effect
What it is: One strong trait (like confidence or a famous employer) shapes your overall impression.
Example: The candidate speaks smoothly → we assume they’re competent in everything.
Risk: Overestimating strengths and ignoring weaknesses.
2. Confirmation Bias
What it is: Looking for evidence that supports your first impression.
Example: You assume the candidate is weak → you notice only their mistakes.
Risk: The interview becomes a trap, not a truth-finding process.
3. Similarity Bias
What it is: We favor people who seem like us — in background, education, or hobbies.
Example: “They studied where I did - they must be a good fit!”
Risk: Less diversity, limited thinking, culture cloning.
4. Anchoring Bias
What it is: Your evaluation gets “anchored” to the first piece of data you hear.
Example: The candidate mentions $1500 salary expectations → your perception of their value centers around that number.
Risk: Skewed decisions about compensation and role fit.
5. Affinity Bias
What it is: We like people who make us feel good or seem familiar.
Example: “We clicked right away” → you overlook poor answers or missing experience.
Risk: Hiring based on comfort instead of competence.
How to Reduce Bias (on 3 Levels)
🟢 Personal Level: Awareness and Reflection
Acknowledge: You’re not fully objective. No one is.
After every interview, ask yourself:
What did I like?
Was that about the candidate - or about me?
Am I being influenced by a first impression?
👉 Reframe: from “I like them” to “Can they succeed in this role?”
🟡 Team Level: Interviewer Syncing
Pair interviews with different styles and perspectives
Debrief together after, not during
Split focus: one on hard skills, the other on case/problem-solving
Use a scorecard with structured evaluation criteria
🔵 System Level: Process Design
Define your evaluation criteria before sourcing
Use structured interviews, not unstructured “coffee chats”
Replace “culture fit” with “culture add”
Apply blind CV screening at early stages (no names, age, education)
You can’t fully eliminate bias - we’re human, not machines.
But you can design systems that rely on facts over feelings.
The more structured and transparent your process, the more likely you are to hire the right person, not just the most familiar one.
🧰 Bonus Tools for You
🔹 Scorecard Template for Structured Interviewing
👉 Notion Template
🔹 Criteria Definition Template
👉 Notion Template
🔹 Implicit Bias Test (Harvard Project Implicit)
👉 Take the test