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How to Assess Candidates Through a Merit-Based DEI Lens
Updated: Sat, Apr 5, 2025
Kolaru Gideon Mosimiloluwa
A diverse and inclusive team should be every hiring team’s target; it’s important. However, traditional hiring practices often fall short in identifying and nurturing talent from all backgrounds. This article explores how recruiters and hiring managers can assess candidates through a merit-based DEI lens, ensuring fair evaluation while building stronger, more diverse teams.
The Business Case for Merit-Based DEI Assessment
Before diving into specific strategies, it's important to understand why merit-based DEI assessment matters. Research consistently shows that diverse teams outperform homogeneous ones. According to McKinsey's 2020 "Diversity Wins" report, companies in the top quartile for gender diversity were 25% more likely to achieve above-average profitability compared to their peers.
However, conventional assessment methods often contain hidden biases that disadvantage qualified candidates from underrepresented backgrounds. Merit-based DEI assessment aims to identify and eliminate these biases while focusing on skills, potential, and capabilities that truly predict job success.
As Dr. Stefanie K. Johnson, associate professor at the University of Colorado Boulder's Leeds School of Business and author of "Inclusify: The Power of Uniqueness and Belonging to Build Innovative Teams," notes, "The goal isn't to lower standards but to remove artificial barriers that prevent us from seeing the full spectrum of talent. Merit-based assessment creates pathways for all qualified candidates to demonstrate their capabilities."
Building Inclusive Evaluation Criteria
Traditional job descriptions and evaluation criteria often reflect narrow perspectives on what constitutes "merit" or "excellence." Creating truly inclusive evaluation criteria requires rethinking these foundations.
Define Success Behaviors, Not Just Requirements
Instead of focusing exclusively on credentials or years of experience, identify the behaviors and outcomes that define success in a role:
- What specific problems will this person solve?
- What skills and attributes are genuinely necessary for success?
- Which requirements might be preferences rather than necessities?
Prioritize Potential Over Polish
Research shows that potential can be a stronger predictor of success than past experience alone. Consider how candidates might grow into a role rather than expecting them to arrive fully formed:
- Look for evidence of learning agility and growth mindset
- Value non-traditional paths that demonstrate persistence
- Recognize transferable skills from different industries or contexts
Create Multi-Dimensional Scoring Rubrics
Develop comprehensive rubrics that capture the full spectrum of skills, experiences, and attributes that contribute to success:
- Include both technical and soft skills
- Weigh different criteria appropriately based on job requirements
- Ensure criteria are observable and measurable
According to research by Lauren Rivera, Professor at Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management, "When organizations use vague evaluation criteria like 'fit' or 'potential,' they often end up selecting candidates who remind evaluators of themselves. Specific, job-relevant criteria help mitigate this unconscious bias."
Removing Language Bias from Feedback
The language we use in candidate evaluations powerfully shapes perceptions and decisions. Research reveals persistent patterns of bias in how candidates from different backgrounds are described.
Recognize Common Bias Patterns
Studies show systematic differences in how evaluators describe candidates from different backgrounds:
- Women often receive feedback about communication style or personality rather than skills and accomplishments
- People of color frequently have their qualifications questioned despite equivalent credentials
- Candidates from non-traditional backgrounds may be evaluated on "culture fit" rather than capability
Implement Language Guidelines
Create guidelines that help evaluators provide consistent, skills-based feedback:
- Focus on observed behaviors and outcomes rather than perceived traits
- Use the same terminology to describe similar accomplishments across candidates
- Avoid gendered terms or cultural references that create uneven evaluation terrain
Conduct Language Audits
Regularly review feedback documentation to identify and address patterns of biased language:
- Look for adjective imbalances across candidate groups
- Identify where feedback focuses on personality versus performance
- Notice where the bar seems higher for certain groups of candidates
Dr. Dolly Chugh, psychologist and author of "The Person You Mean to Be: How Good People Fight Bias," emphasizes: "The language we use isn't just descriptive—it's constitutive. It shapes how we and others perceive candidates' capabilities. By becoming mindful of our language patterns, we can create more accurate assessments that focus on merit rather than unrelated factors."
Creating Equitable Assessment Frameworks
Beyond language, the structure of your assessment process itself can either promote or hinder equity. Equitable frameworks ensure all candidates have fair opportunities to demonstrate their capabilities.
Design Work Sample Tests That Level the Playing Field
When developing skills assessments:
- Ensure tasks reflect actual job responsibilities, not abstract puzzles
- Provide clear instructions and evaluation criteria to all candidates
- Allow reasonable accommodations without penalizing candidates
- Consider how different backgrounds might approach problems differently
Standardize Interview Processes
Inconsistent interviews create unfair advantages:
- Use structured interview guides with consistent questions
- Train interviewers on bias mitigation techniques
- Ensure diverse interview panels for all candidates
- Create equal opportunity for candidates to ask questions and demonstrate knowledge
Minimize Impact of Socioeconomic Factors
Traditional processes often inadvertently favor candidates with certain privileges:
- Consider offering stipends for interview-related expenses
- Provide flexible scheduling options for candidates with caregiving responsibilities
- Don't penalize candidates who lack access to expensive technology or resources
- Recognize accomplishments in context of opportunities available
Using Structured Feedback to Ensure Fairness
How feedback is collected, organized, and synthesized significantly impacts hiring decisions. Structured feedback mechanisms help ensure evaluators focus on relevant criteria rather than personal preferences.
Create Evidence-Based Evaluation Forms
Well-designed evaluation forms guide assessors toward objective observations:
- Include specific competency areas with clear definitions
- Require concrete examples for each assessment area
- Use rating scales with descriptive anchors rather than numbers alone
- Include space for highlighting candidate strengths and development areas
Implement Collaborative Decision-Making
Individual bias is mitigated through collective assessment:
- Use calibration meetings to align on standards across evaluators
- Discuss assessments as a group before making decisions
- Challenge assumptions and ask for evidence when assessments differ
- Document decision rationales for transparency and learning
Provide Feedback Training
Evaluators need guidance on how to provide fair, constructive feedback:
- Train on recognizing and mitigating common biases
- Practice articulating objective observations
- Learn to separate performance observation from inference
- Understand how to focus on behaviors rather than assumptions
An easier way to get this done is to use AI-powered interview evaluation/feedback tools such as TBH. TBH helps you provide candidates with clear, constructive feedback that they can use to improve and grow. It also helps you structure your interview using pre-built scorecard templates, making your evaluation not just easier but more effective. It's easy to implement for teams regardless of the size of the hiring need.
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Measuring DEI Impact in Evaluation Processes
What gets measured gets managed. Creating accountability through measurement ensures your merit-based DEI assessment approach delivers results.
Track Key Metrics Throughout the Pipeline
Monitor both process and outcome metrics:
- Compare assessment scores across demographic groups to identify potential bias points
- Measure representation at each stage of the selection process
- Analyze time-to-decision and conversion rates by demographic group
- Compare post-hire performance against interview assessments
Gather Candidate Experience Feedback
Candidate perceptions provide valuable insights:
- Survey all candidates about their experience with the assessment process
- Compare satisfaction and perception data across demographic groups
- Conduct exit interviews with candidates who withdraw from the process
- Use feedback to continually refine and improve processes
Create Accountability Through Transparency
Share measurement results with stakeholders:
- Report on DEI metrics to leadership regularly
- Create improvement goals based on findings
- Share progress and learnings across the organization
- Compare results to industry benchmarks when available
Implementing Your Merit-Based DEI Assessment Strategy
Transforming assessment practices requires intentional change management. Consider these implementation steps:
- Assess Current State: Audit existing practices to identify bias points and improvement opportunities
- Build Stakeholder Buy-In: Educate leadership and hiring managers on the business case for change
- Develop New Tools: Create inclusive job descriptions, structured interviews, and evaluation rubrics
- Train Evaluators: Provide comprehensive training on the new process and bias mitigation
- Pilot and Refine: Test the new approach with select roles before full implementation
- Measure and Adjust: Continuously collect data and refine your approach based on results
Conclusion
Merit-based DEI assessment isn't about lowering standards—it's about raising awareness of how traditional practices may miss or undervalue excellent candidates. By building inclusive evaluation criteria, removing language bias, creating equitable frameworks, implementing structured feedback, and measuring outcomes, organizations can build stronger, more diverse teams while ensuring fair assessment for all candidates.
The companies that thrive in the future will be those that successfully identify and nurture talent from all backgrounds. Merit-based DEI assessment provides a pathway to build these inclusive, high-performing organizations while ensuring every candidate receives fair consideration based on their true capabilities.
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Citations
- Bohnet, I. (2016). What works: Gender equality by design. Harvard University Press.
- Chugh, D. (2018). The person you mean to be: How good people fight bias. Harper Business.
- Johnson, S. K. (2020). Inclusify: The power of uniqueness and belonging to build innovative teams. Harper Business.
- McKinsey & Company. (2020). Diversity wins: How inclusion matters. McKinsey & Company.
- Rivera, L. A. (2012). Hiring as cultural matching: The case of elite professional service firms. American Sociological Review, 77(6), 999-1022.