How-To Have Hard Conversations About Bias: Inclusive Hiring Training
I spent the last 6 years writing job postings and doing inclusive hiring training. After a lot of trial and error, I have a script for how the conversations go at the beginning of every hiring manager intake meeting. “Do you know why you’re here?” Most people laugh, but it happens. We see meetings, we show up, yet we aren’t quite sure why we’re there. Especially when you’re meeting with an external vendor.
Next, regardless of their answer to question one, I say, “I am a job post writing expert. Not sure if you’ve read any job posts, but I’m sure you know they’re pretty bad.” We both laugh because we know they suck. “The difference between our job postings and those is that we try to tell the truth. You are the source of truth.”
Then I tell them not to read me the old job description. For one, I already have the original copy of the job description. On the other hand, I know it’s full of exaggeration and guesses. I don’t want to start from there. I want to start from what they know to be true about the job. This opens the door for me to start asking questions to understand what the job is really like and to clarify biases.
I Tried To Create Job Post AI. I Failed.
When I sat down to start writing requirements to create my own job description software, this is exactly where I got stuck. First, on the questions themselves. What exactly do I ask without making this a really long process?
Secondly, it was far more difficult than I imagined to get people to just answer the question I was actually asking. If you’ve worked in recruiting as long as I have, you’re probably not surprised at all by this.
Even more difficult? Identifying the next best question to ask. I’ve tested my own prototype and competitive technologies, even ChatGPT. The machines can’t always figure out what that clarifying question should be. The machine doesn’t know how to challenge. It’s not easy for a computer to understand the right details to dial into. That’s why I decided to sunset my AI project. I needed to do more to remove bias from job posts. So I built something else instead – something for people. Making things more human is my specialty, anyway.
Talking About Biased Requirements: Inclusive Hiring Training
After completing thousands of hiring manager intake meetings since the beginning of Three Ears Media, I’ve decided to add something to our offerings. It’s an inclusive hiring training series.
Inclusive Hiring Training is a series for recruiters and hiring managers to learn how to align on role requirements and remove bias in decision-making. These groups will learn separately (then together) how to work together to make the best hiring decision on talent for teams.
In these sessions, I’ll teach us to collaborate. We’ll learn how to ask questions that clarify exaggerated requirements, ask the question that gets you results during the interview, then learn how to address bias in real time.
Inclusive Hiring Training: A Skill Every Recruiter Needs
This is an investment in the quality of every hire you make – and it works whether you have 10 or 10,000 employees. The reality is that if you don’t know what you’re looking for? You’ll never find it. Or worse, you’ll hire the wrong person.
It’s preparation for salary transparency laws. If you can’t define a role and what skills align with what pay band, you’re going to continue to pay the best negotiators instead of the best talent. That’s a formula for high turnover.
Thinking about skills based hiring? This helps you define the skills.
Even bigger to me? This program is an investment in inclusive hiring. If we can create a language for understanding people’s work experience, we can more accurately compare talent and hire the best people. It means we stop doing things the way we always have and start doing them well.
Want To Pilot With Me?
Looking for inclusive hiring training? Want to have better relationships with hiring managers? This is your moment. Let’s work together. Use this link to book a meeting or email help@threeearsmedia.com with questions.
Want a free resource? I’ve got those too here.
recruiting Workplace Trends hiring alignment hiring manager hiring manager intake hiring manager training
Kat Kibben View All →
Kat Kibben [they/them] is a keynote speaker, writing expert, and LGBTQIA+ advocate who teaches hiring teams how to write inclusive job postings that will get the right person to apply faster.
Before founding Three Ears Media, Katrina was a CMO, Technical Copywriter, and Managing Editor for leading companies like Monster, Care.com, and Randstad Worldwide. With 15+ years of recruitment marketing and training experience, Katrina knows how to turn talented recruiting teams into talented writers who write for people, not about work.
Today, Katrina is frequently featured as an HR and recruiting expert in publications like The New York Times, Chicago Tribune, and Forbes. They’ve been named to numerous lists, including LinkedIn’s Top Voices in Job Search & Careers. When not speaking, writing, or training, you’ll find Katrina traveling the country in their van or spending some much needed downtime with the dogs that inspired the name Three Ears Media.