In a previous article we told you that people in general make their decisions to conform with certain stereotypes. A generally accepted stereotype is that younger people are more creative and mature people are more stable. Also attractive males are perceived to be more competent than males who aren’t as attractive. However, results of the latest experiments make it even clearer that when we have several available options, we figure in specific stereotypes that will be in our own self interest and improve our position.
Self-interest can be stronger than stereotypes
Across all the experiments carried out ,researchers from INSEAD business school found one common factor. All the decisions made about a person were influenced by how the decision maker perceived how the candidate would affect his success. The decision was strongly connected to a stereotypical belief in the performance of the candidate. This implies that in real-life situations self-interest tends to take precedence over the general inclination to favor people of our own social group. When decisions are made by peers, this pattern becomes relevant, claims an article on the knowledge.insead.edu website.
Implications for hiring process
Therefore we should be cautious, as more and more companies are incorporating peers into their hiring processes. However, as described above, when peers select peers there is an added potential for discrimination. This potential must somehow be addressed by the hiring managers. What can we do to help? One option is to use a focused accountability system. Decision makers are asked not only to make a selection, but they are also required to explain why they made a certain selection. Accountability can reduce self-interest and forces people to reason better. When you have to explain your decisions, it is much harder to make self-serving choices.
If you are a candidate who needs, in the future, to be selected by his peers, you need to guess how you are being evaluated. If your peer selector favors strong candidates but not stronger than himself, it will be difficult. The line between competition and collaboration is not nearly as clear and balance is delicate.
-jk-