Inclusive Interviewing E-Learning Quick Reference Guide

This guides is a supplement to the Devices Inclusive Interviewing E-Learning. If you have not yet taken the Inclusive Interviewing course, you must completed the required
Unconscious Bias course prior to Inclusive Interviewing. The following sections provide a reminder of the definitions of unconscious bias, inclusive interviewing and details the
potential for bias at each stage of the interview process as well as the bias interrupters you and the interview team can try.

What is Unconscious Bias? What is Inclusive Interviewing?

At any given moment, we receive over 11 million bits of information from the world Inclusive interviewing means that interviewers are actively and regularly challenging
around us. Our brains can consciously process only 40 bits of information. To avoid unconscious biases to equitably evaluate candidates throughout the interview
overload, our brains use shortcuts, shaped by past experiences, cultural norms, and process. This means that interviewers are using facts and examples, not assumptions
personal beliefs, to determine which information is important. These shortcuts are or broad generalizations, to make hiring decisions. The following sections detail the
called unconscious biases and there are hundreds of them operating outside of our factors that can influence decision making during the interview process and bias
awareness. If we do not implement intentional tactics and mechanisms to challenge interrupters you can try.
our biases individually and as a team, they can negatively affect the quality of our
team decisions and relationships. To revisit or learn more about unconscious bias,
you can take this course and reference its quick guide.

Hiring Criteria
Adhering to consistent hiring criteria ensures that all interviewers are using the same requirements when evaluating candidates throughout the entire process. This helps interrupt
potential unconscious bias by preventing non-job-relevant facts from appearing in feedback and decision making. For more information on how you can build inclusive job
descriptions, please download this guide.

Factors that can influence decisions Bias Interrupters

• Lack of clarity in hiring criteria, leading to difference in leadership principles or skills Hiring Manager
evaluated during candidate evaluation. • Send the hiring criteria to all phone screeners and interviewers via email or during
the pre-brief meeting prior to any interviews.
Bar Raiser
• Request a pre-brief email with the hiring criteria for the interview loop if one is not
provided by the hiring manager. These criteria can be applied during the debrief to
ensure everyone is aligned to the same requirements.
Interviewer
• Request hiring criteria if it has not been provided by the hiring manager.
Recruiter
• Question any examples, statements or concerns that are not aligned to the hiring
criteria while reviewing phone screen feedback, or participating in a debrief.

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Resume Review
The information found on a resume is all our brain needs to make initial assumptions and judgments of a candidate before we’ve even had a chance to speak to them. Review the
information below to remind yourself of how to interrupt bias at the resume review stage.

Factors that can influence decisions Bias Interrupters

• Gender or race associated with a candidate's name All Interview Participants
• Clubs or associations the candidate belongs to • Review the hiring criteria, keep it on-hand, and stick to it.
• Personal preferences based on schools or programs • Follow up with the candidate for facts about their employment history and
• Personal or known experience with other people from the candidate's current timeline. Don't let assumptions tell their story.
company • Check that your evaluations are made with objective data versus a "gut feeling"
• Current or previous job titles and skills based on personal connections or experiences.
• Work history, including years of experience or gaps in employment
• Current or previous locations, including city or country

Interviews
An interview, over the phone, video or in person, floods us with thousands of data points about the candidate that our brain attempts to navigate through by using mental shortcuts
and aligning data into specific categories. This is our brain attempting to reach an “inclined” or “not inclined” decision as quickly and easily as possible.

Factors that can influence decisions Bias Interrupters

• Associations with different observed traits such as height, weight, gender, age and All Interview Participants
voice, including tone or accent • Ask clarifying questions during the interview. Don’t rely on assumptions if you’re
• Preferences based on similarities or differences with the candidate that bring up unclear on the details of the example being provided.
positive or negative associations • Use follow up questions to ensure candidates provide both “I” and “we”
• Preferences based on "I" or "we" statements. statements, so you have a clear picture of how they have worked on a team and what
•Avoidance of "risky" candidates that don't fit our expectations of a "typical" work they contributed as an individual.
candidate • Avoid disregarding or discrediting anyone’s background, education, culture or
•A comparison of our own culture to that of others, often viewing our own or similar experiences, especially when they’re different from those you usually associate with
cultures as the most competent. This can also be workplace culture, avoiding those the role.
we believe are not "Amazonian enough" or a "team fit" • Don’t submit your final vote immediately after the interview. Revisit after a few
hours, and take the time to review your notes. Remember to use the hiring criteria
and stick to it!
• Avoid using Amazon or team culture fit as a reason for being not inclined. Culture fit
can be in conflict with inclusion when we are unwilling to consider those who think or
work differently than we do.

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Debrief
The debrief stage itself is a bias-interrupting mechanism as it brings together multiple viewpoints for consideration before a final hiring decision is made. Every single person plays
an important role in the debrief, no matter their level or tenure. Review the information below for suggestions to interrupt bias during debrief conversations.

Factors that can influence decisions Bias Interrupters

• Group think – interviewers aligning with the group or with more senior members of BR or Hiring Manager
the interview team instead of sharing dissenting or alternative opinions, experiences • Set the tone from the beginning by reiterating the hiring criteria for this role
or examples • Ask for feedback from the most-junior or least-tenured interviewer first, and then
• Focusing on the “reasons not to hire” only without also discussing how the work your way to the BR and HM.
candidate demonstrated the skills for the role • Question or follow-up on assumptive statements, or those based on gut-feelings.
• Preferences based on similarities or differences with the candidate that bring up Always ask for specific examples that support these types of claims.
positive or negative associations • When an assumption is made, ask for counter-claims, facts, or examples, to ensure
•Avoidance of "risky" candidates that don't fit our expectations of a "typical" all perspectives are heard. Provide your own examples, if you have them.
candidate • Actively acknowledge, support, and pursue opinions that are different from the
•A comparison of our own culture to that of others, often viewing our own or similar group consensus. Wait to agree or disagree until others have had a chance to weigh-in,
cultures as the most competent. This can also be workplace culture, avoiding those to avoid influencing people who may have otherwise spoken up.
we believe are not "Amazonian enough" or a "team fit" Recruiter
• Advocate for candidates by sharing information to counter assumptions being made
by the interview team.
• Be mindful of assumptive statements being made by individuals, even if they are the
Bar Raiser or Hiring Manger, and question the speaker for specific examples.
• Redirect conversation if you notice an interviewer who has not been able to share or
is being disregarded. Ensure everyone is included into the conversation.
Interviewer
• Question or follow-up on assumptive statements, or those based on gut-feelings.
Always ask for specific examples that support these types of claims.
• Provide counter-examples or facts when you hear someone making an assumption
or unfounded opinion.
• Actively acknowledge opinions that are different from the group consensus.

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What You Heard, What To Say
It is everyone’s responsibility help each other see their own biases. Personal preferences about the candidate’s previous employer, work/life balance, current team
composition, and urgency to fill role all impact our judgment. Take a moment to review the scenarios below and think about similar situation you have been in and
the actions you could have taken or questions you could have raised to interrupt potential bias.

What you heard What to say

“This person isn’t Amazonian enough” “For those of us who have been here for a while, we need to remember that we transitioned too. And, the Amazonian
“I just don’t think that person is a good fit” way can be learned”
“What makes you say that? What answers did they provide that help you draw that conclusion? Is the fit about a clash
with you or existing team members, or Amazon as a whole?”
• Feedback should be objective, job-related and focused on the candidate’s demonstration of the job-related knowledge, skills, and experiences required for the position.
• Are any of these reasons just different ways of doing or saying things that may seem unfamiliar or uncomfortable? They may not necessarily be less effective or less
valuable.
• If someone isn’t able to share specifics about what the individual said or did to make the interviewer say this, then it is best to try to not include this feedback in the
decision process.

What you heard What to say

“They had a poor communication style” “What made it poor? Did the candidate frequently interrupt or fail to answer the question? Did they take more time
to gather their thoughts than you prefer?”
We often unconsciously prefer those who share our own style of communication, so it’s important to understand how this assessment manifested in candidate behavior. Did the
candidate frequently interrupt or fail to answer questions? Or did they take more time to gather their thoughts than you prefer?
What you heard What to say
“I don’t think she’ll stay in this role long enough.” “We’re looking for both this role and the long-term hiring decision for the company. We can’t guess what someone
“He might just be looking for a way into Amazon.” else is thinking or what they’ll do. Do the meet the requirements of the job and raise the bar for the team/Amazon?”

• It’s natural, and sometimes valid, to want to assess how much a candidate wants the specific role they interviewed for, or how long they are likely to be happy in that
role. The hiring team isn’t looking for someone who will be bored or looking to change roles in six months. That said, there’s a line between reacting to explicit or
implicit candidate cues and attempting to predict years into the future.
• Also, remember that the goal of the debrief is the best long-term hiring decision for the company, not just this role.

What you heard What to say

“She had an intimidating presence.” “What specifically did they say or do to make you say that? Did other interviewers feel the same way? If so, what
“He made me uncomfortable.” made you feel intimidated or uncomfortable?”

• Ask for specifics about what actions or statements prompted these observations.
• The “feeling” of being uncomfortable is from the gut and prone to be ripe with unconscious bias. The candidate may remind the interviewer of someone they don’t like or
makes them feel uneasy.
• Data shows that unconscious bias can lead us to interpret the same behaviors differently depending on the race or gender of the person we’re interacting with.

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What you heard What to say
“He wasn’t very enthusiastic.” “Did the candidate explicitly say they weren’t excited or passionate about the role or Amazon? What did the
“I just don’t see her passion for the role.” candidate do to make you say that?”
 Depending on cultural background, temperament interview nerves, and other factors, people may express enthusiasm and energy in many different ways. Challenge general
statements about passion or enthusiasm by asking the group to look at the main point of the candidate’s responses, not just how they were delivered.
 A more introverted candidate, or one from a more formal culture, may be less demonstrative than an extrovert or naturally informal person. Any nervousness a candidate is
feeling may also put a damper on how they expresses enthusiasm or passion.
What you heard What to say
“That person wasn’t what I expected” “What makes you say that? How were they different than what you expected?”
“I didn’t expect that senior of a candidate to interview “What did the candidate say that wasn’t what you expected?”
in workout attire.”

When interviewers say this, it is loaded with stereotypes and unconscious bias about what this person was “supposed to be like” and this is used both negatively and positively.
I.E., “I didn’t expect that senior of a candidate to interview in workout attire.” Maybe that person just came in from traveling and wasn’t able to change into something
different. Maybe the candidate’s clothing was in boxes from recently moving and couldn’t get them in time.
OR
“I’m surprised at how composed and polished she was in anticipating my coding question…who does she know working here?”
OR
“That person was articulate and I didn’t think they would be.” People of color are often told they “sound White” or are “articulate”. Pay attention to when you make this
comment about a candidate.
What ethnicity are they? Would you say that a white, male candidate was articulate?

This type of cognitive dissonance arises in interviews and debriefs, where we have preconceived ideas about the candidates that turn out false.
What you heard What to say
“They went to x university. I don’t know about “Let’s look at how they answered the questions. What specific examples did this candidate provide that make you
graduates from that school” doubt the candidate? Not all graduates from x school are the same”.
OR
“They used to work at Y employer. You know how “That seems like a sweeping statement. What specifically did the candidate say that gives you doubt in their ability to
those people can be” perform the job?”

Many of us have preferences based on our own experience at different companies and with people who attended certain universities. Be aware that this can have a halo
(positive) or horns (negative) effect on your opinion of the individual.

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