When interviewing your next prospective employee are you at risk of falling into the trap of confirming what you have already learnt from your applicants resume?
Let me introduce you to Confirmation Bias though a story that has been around for a long time in various adaptations and a puzzle for those that way inclined. The story………..
Judging the cover by the book
A man is in the final stages of getting things ready for his wedding. Everything’s going well except for the one small matter of his bride-to-be’s extremely hot younger sister. One afternoon, a week before the big day, he finds himself alone with her in the house. She sidles up to him and suggests they go upstairs – before he finally settles down to a life of wedded bliss. The man begins to panic. Running through his options, he charges out of the house – only there, in the front garden, to discover the rest of the girl’s family all waiting for him. As soon as he emerges, they give him a big round of applause.
‘Congratulations,’ says the future father-in-law. ‘You’ve passed the test. You have proved yourself a man of honour and integrity, and I’m delighted to give you my daughter’s hand in marriage’.
The fiancé can’t believe it, and breathes a huge sigh of relief. His wife-to-be gives him a big kiss on the cheek.
Moral of the story? Always leave your condoms in the car or good blokes always do the right thing?
Relative to the above story the later moral is called confirmation bias from the future father-in-law's point of view. This is a tendency we all have to seek out evidence that confirms rather than disproves our beliefs about a person or situation regardless of whether the information is true.
Are you at risk of confirmation bias when interpreting workplace behaviour when you do not know the beliefs and behavioural preferences of the individuals concerned?
The puzzle.........
Here is another example of confirmation bias – the Wason four card selection puzzle.
Each card has a number on one side and a colour on the other. The diagram above represents the VISIBLE card face. Imagine being able to turn these cards over.
QUESTION: Which card(s) would you turn over to test the truth of the proposition that
“If a card shows an even number on one side then the opposite face shows red”?
Which card(s) would you pick? …………………………………Think about if before viewing the answer below.
If like most people you went for the three and/or the red, you have tried to confirm what we already know.
By choosing the eight and/or the brown and endeavouring to prove the statement false you are looking for options that don’t comply with the question and you achieve a satisfactory result.
(For further explanation on this subject please click this link Wason four card selection task.)
I would love to hear about your employment challenges and whether you perceive that profiling may have been of some benefit in those circumstances. I invite you to either comment on the blog or email me at mark@profilingsolutions.com.au
Until next time,
Cheers
Mark Bell
