7 essential steps to improving hiring practices
Improving Hiring Practices: Building a Fairer, More Effective Process
Nonprofits and corporations alike face a common struggle: improving hiring practices in a way that creates fair and inclusive opportunities. Many hiring processes are filled with inefficiencies, biases, and a lack of transparency. Interview formats often reward quick thinking over careful analysis, with hiring teams relying on subjective judgments that can introduce unintentional bias. The result? Candidates frequently walk away from interviews feeling confused about their performance and uncertain about next steps.
Research shows that over 50% of job seekers experience disappointment with hiring processes due to unclear expectations, vague interview questions, and lack of feedback. This disconnect leads to missed opportunities and limits diversity in the workplace. Improving hiring practices doesn’t require an overhaul—small but meaningful changes can make a significant impact. Here, we explore actionable ways to fix some of the broken aspects of hiring.
1. Provide Interview Questions in Advance
One of the simplest ways to improve hiring practices is by sharing interview questions with candidates ahead of time. This approach levels the playing field, particularly for candidates who may experience anxiety or prefer more time to process information. When candidates are prepared, they can provide thoughtful, detailed answers that highlight their true strengths rather than feeling rushed to respond on the spot.
For example, some tech companies send core interview questions to candidates a day or two in advance. Not only does this lead to more insightful responses, but it also allows the hiring team to assess candidates’ skills more accurately, given they have time to reflect and prepare. After all, most roles require thoughtful, well-researched work rather than quick, spur-of-the-moment decisions.
As one hiring consultant put it, “Interviews should assess skill and compatibility, not just how fast someone thinks on their feet.”
2. Display Interview Questions on Screen in Virtual Interviews
Virtual interviews offer flexibility and reach, but they also bring unique challenges. Displaying questions on the screen during virtual interviews can help candidates feel less anxious and more focused. This approach gives candidates a few extra seconds to process each question, allowing them to provide clearer, more structured answers.
This practice benefits neurodivergent candidates and those who may process information more effectively with a visual aid. However, even for those without specific needs, seeing questions helps clarify expectations, creating a smoother experience and reducing misunderstandings.
3. Include Realistic Job Previews
One effective way to improve hiring practices is to provide candidates with realistic job previews. This might include a short, time-bound project, a “day-in-the-life” video, or an explanation of typical challenges faced in the role. For example, a marketing candidate could be asked to draft a brief campaign outline as part of the process.
A realistic job preview not only shows candidates what they’ll be doing but also gives hiring teams concrete insights into each candidate’s abilities. This approach minimizes the risk of hires leaving once they realize the role doesn’t match their expectations. According to Glassdoor, realistic previews are one of the best ways to improve retention and ensure a good fit right from the start.
4. Standardize Evaluation Criteria
One critical step in improving hiring practices is to create standardized evaluation criteria. Subjective judgments often influence hiring decisions, leading to biased outcomes. Standardization helps eliminate these biases and ensures a fair assessment for each candidate.
A scoring rubric that breaks down essential skills, cultural fit, and job-specific knowledge allows for an objective comparison between candidates. When every candidate is scored against the same criteria, it reduces the influence of unconscious bias. According to studies, standardized evaluations are linked to a more diverse and capable workforce, as they help ensure that each hiring decision is based on merit.
5. Adopt Structured Interviews
Structured interviews improve hiring practices by ensuring that each candidate receives the same set of questions in a consistent order. This approach contrasts with unplanned or loosely structured interviews, where managers might ask varied questions, often leading to an inconsistent experience for candidates.
Using structured interviews produces data that’s easier to analyze, helping hiring teams identify trends, improve decision-making, and provide a more transparent experience. Many organizations that use structured interviews report improved hiring outcomes, as well as higher satisfaction among both candidates and hiring managers.
For further insight into structured interviews, Harvard Business Review frequently publishes research on the benefits of structured interview techniques and their impact on fair hiring.
6. Offer Constructive Feedback to All Candidates
A significant improvement to any hiring practice is offering constructive feedback to all candidates, particularly those who don’t make it to the next round. Candidates invest time and effort in preparing for interviews, and many leave feeling uncertain about their performance. Providing feedback not only helps candidates understand where they can improve but also builds a positive reputation for the company.
Providing feedback allows organizations to reflect on their hiring practices, creating opportunities for continuous improvement. By offering feedback, employers signal that they value transparency and care about candidates’ growth, which can foster goodwill even among those not selected.
7. Increase Transparency Around Salary Expectations
Setting clear salary expectations from the beginning is another way to improve hiring practices. Transparency about salary details in job postings and initial conversations helps candidates make informed decisions and prevents misunderstandings later in the hiring process. When candidates understand what to expect in terms of compensation, they feel respected and valued, which contributes to a stronger applicant pool and better retention.
A report by Payscale indicates that companies practicing salary transparency often experience higher retention rates, as employees feel a greater sense of fairness in their compensation and workplace environment.
8. Reduce the Emphasis on Cultural Fit
While cultural fit is important, overemphasizing it in hiring practices can unintentionally lead to homogeneity and limit diversity. Hiring managers should focus on values alignment rather than “fit” in terms of personality or shared interests. Diverse teams are proven to drive innovation, and ensuring that candidates bring varied perspectives and experiences can strengthen an organization’s impact.
According to research, companies with diverse teams experience greater creativity and problem-solving abilities, as team members bring different viewpoints and approaches to the table. Improving hiring practices means being open to candidates who may challenge the status quo.
9. Monitor and Measure Hiring Outcomes
To continually improve hiring practices, it’s crucial to monitor and measure outcomes. Collect feedback from candidates and hiring managers to identify what’s working and what isn’t. Analyze data on retention rates, candidate demographics, and satisfaction scores to identify areas for improvement.
Regularly revisiting these metrics and conducting post-interview reviews allow organizations to refine their hiring processes based on tangible outcomes. Organizations committed to improving hiring practices will adapt to changing trends and needs, creating a more equitable experience for all candidates.
Wrapping Up: Improving Hiring Practices for Fairer, More Effective Outcomes
Improving hiring practices doesn’t require drastic changes. Simple adjustments—such as providing questions in advance, displaying them in virtual interviews, offering realistic job previews, and standardizing evaluation criteria—can make a huge difference. These steps create a more equitable hiring process, benefit both candidates and organizations, and contribute to a more diverse and talented workforce.
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