The Halo and Horns effect in hiring

In a few seconds we are able to create a first impression of someone we have just met. Prejudging a person, either positively or negatively, is a natural human mechanism that we execute unconsciously, based on a preconceived idea, without having evidence to confirm it.

But, when we hire staff, we must ensure that the selection is made as objective as possible, without the recruiter's biases or prejudices influencing the candidate's choice. There are many biases, but those known as Halo and Horns are of great importance in the personnel selection process.

What is the Halo effect?

The halo effect has its origins in the American military in the 1920s.

Researcher Edward Throndike discovered that there were a number of traits that predominated in the selection tests of future soldiers in the United States armed forces. In addition, he observed that these traits significantly influenced the decision to admit them or not.

In other words, the cognitive bias was so strong that those responsible for selecting soldiers were influenced by their first impression, which determined whether or not they were eligible for admission.

Today, this concept is known as the halo effect.

In short, it tries to prejudge someone positively simply because of the first impression they give us, with nothing to corroborate it. It is enough to look at one positive quality, generalize it and apply it to other aspects of that person.

For example, if in an interview the candidate is very friendly and responds to everything with confidence and empathy, you will most likely think that this is the right person for the position.

What is the Horns effect?

Just the opposite. In this case, we attribute certain negative traits or qualities to the person, or we have certain information, which leads us to think badly about them. For example, if a candidate arrives with a stained shirt to the interview, it may affect the entire selection process. Although presence is a trait to take into account, we don't decline because of a decision just because of that first impression, in this way we risk losing qualified talent.

This is why we tend to eliminate applications based on a negative first impression. And besides, once you attribute that trait, it's very difficult to reverse the process.

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How to avoid the Halo and Horns effect in a selection process?

There is only one solution: not to be biased, but unfortunately, this is not humanly possible.

But what we can do is become aware of the existence of these prejudices, good and bad, and try to increase objectivity with the following tips:

1. Self-analysis.

The key is not to let ourselves be carried away by emotions, to reflect and ask ourselves if the impression we have of the candidate is neutral or if it is biased by our own prejudices.

2. Prepare the interviews

It is advisable to create a script for the interview, highlighting the basic points that candidates should be asked about. On the other hand, it is necessary to create a system for scoring the answers to allow for a simpler and faster classification of the interviewees.

Here are some steps that can help you conduct an interview as objective as possible.

• Be very clear about the competencies required by the position.
• Classify these competencies according to the level of importance.
• Design an interview that analyzes the past performance of candidates in the face of challenges they will encounter again in the new position.
• Create a scoring system to then compare candidates objectively
• At the end of the process and with the data on the table, we can contribute our judgment and experience to decide which is the best candidate.

3. Ask someone you trust.

When selecting a candidate, it is always best to involve more than one person. In this way, we will have more than one trial when it comes to evaluating applicants.

It is important for the other person to also be clear that we require an impartial opinion that favors the objectivity of the selection process.

4.- First filter

Avoiding data such as origin, gender, age, or an image is essential to start a first filter in an objective way.

In order to guarantee a curriculum screen that is as objective as possible, many companies already use virtual assistants, such as the one from the hr bot factory, which use Artificial Intelligence to carry out a first filter.

Recruiters see the objective information of the candidates filtered in relation to the job position, so that the success of the hiring is much more assured, being more optimal and effective.