What is bias in hiring?

• A. Bias is a data-driven approach to candidate evaluation.
• B. Bias is preferences that influence judgments unfairly.
• C. Bias is a policy that ensures equal opportunities.
• D. Bias is a neutral process with standardized criteria.

Answer: (B)

Bias in hiring means preferences or preconceptions that influence judgments unfairly and are not based on the job’s requirements. It shows up when decisions are colored by factors like age, gender, race, or personal rapport rather than by qualifications, skills, and fit for the role. Because bias distorts evaluation, it can cause qualified candidates to be overlooked and others to be favored for unrelated reasons. This is why bias is something to guard against in the hiring process. Describing bias as a data-driven approach would imply objectivity, which is the opposite of bias. A policy that ensures equal opportunities reflects efforts to prevent bias, not bias itself. A neutral process with standardized criteria is designed to minimize bias by applying the same, job-relevant criteria to everyone.