Crosschq’s automated reference checks aim to reduce the unconscious bias that creeps into the standard reference check process.
Reference checksOpens a new window have been a necessary part of the talent acquisition. Despite their commonness, there have been doubts about their credibility. Typically, a potential candidate provides references of those who are likely to share only positive and favorable feedback about them. The candidate may also call the references given to explain what they need to fill in. These factors tend to make reference checks susceptible to personal bias.
Is it time to remove reference checks from the process? This may not be the way forward since, as per ForbesOpens a new window , many organizations continue to focus on it for decision making by expanding the content that is covered through such checks. For example, asking questions that give more insights into the candidate’s personality and attributes, rather than performance, can provide better insights.
The next step to take is to remove the human bias that tends to discredit the reference check process. As SAP.iO Fund announces its investmentOpens a new window in the reference-checking startup Crosschq, this could become a reality. Crosschq’s platform focuses on the collection of candidate references by automatically reaching out for references and storing them. This removes the need for repeated reference requests during the entire career path of the candidates. It also makes the background check process objective. The emphasis is on mitigating unconscious bias by using a standard referral process. In addition, Crosschq also encourages reference providers to be thoughtful, honest, and transparent when providing references.
“SAP strongly believes that the future of work is inclusive and diverse, and that starts with removing biases in the candidate experience,†said Ram Jambunathan, SAP senior vice president and managing director of SAP.iO.
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The Potential World of Unbiased Recruitment
While AI is being credited with making the recruitment process seamlessOpens a new window , there are mixed views about whether it can truly create a bias-free hiring approach. AI systems may carry the human bias of historical data and the people who program it. There is a high chance that if the bias has entered the system via programming, it will continue to be reinforced through the process as it is repeated. Also, while companies have used facial analysis technologyOpens a new window for recruitment, it is not entirely clear whether it will remove bias or deepen it. That is a significant risk in the current scenario, where diversity concerns, especially in corporations across the world, are making news.
But all is not lost. There is potential for an eventual unbiased recruitment process with solutions that aim to minimize bias.
Virtual reality (VR) is one of them. This is the technological manifestation of a blind audition. Through this method, candidates can actually be viewed and interviewed without race, gender, age, and other parameters coming into play. Organizations are using it in many ways to assess the suitability of a candidate to the role.
VR recruitment methods also include immersive on-the-job assessments of the potential candidates, so that it removes the need to assess candidates based on skills stated in a resume. For example, Jet.comOpens a new window , which is an e-commerce company, utilizes virtual reality in recruitment so that potential candidates can get an opportunity to see the company’s corporate culture and the workplace. This gives the candidates also a deeper insight into their future workplace and allows them to make an informed decision.
Similarly, Jaguar partneredOpens a new window with virtual band Gorillaz to build fun, skills-based recruiting games for their potential coders. In a very different approach to hiring, the British ArmyOpens a new window also lets applicants experience tank-driving and other scenarios using VR.
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The future scenario for recruitment, which focuses on a completely bias-free approach, might need to be a combination of VR and AR Opens a new window (augmented reality). But for a robust recruitment process, technologies that enable unbiased reference checks and the like will also need to be built into the overall talent acquisition strategy.