Few are willing to acknowledge it, but upon reflection, a significant number of hiring choices are influenced by a general impression. Whether we're influenced by physical attractiveness, social perception, or repelled by a specific aspect of a candidate's personality, it's surprisingly easy to make hiring decisions that are detached from assessing the individual's actual job performance. If you've ever found yourself swayed in favor of or against a candidate based on a single characteristic, you might have unknowingly succumbed to the halo or horn effect—an unconscious bias that distorts our accurate perceptions of people, leading us to focus excessively on a single positive or negative trait.

The halo and horn effect represents a cognitive bias shaping our judgments of others based on initial impressions. A singular trait, like our perception of someone's style, can foster unwarranted assumptions about their overall character. This phenomenon extends into our personal lives; the halo effect may prompt assumptions of a person's potential as a good friend based on their outfit, while the horn effect might lead to romantic expectations solely based on physical attractiveness. Relying on the very first impression to craft entire personalities is illogical and inaccurate. Assigning halos and horns to people based on snap judgments hinders our capacity for objective thinking and fair treatment, undermining our ability to interact with kindness.

The halo and horn effect frequently emerges in the recruitment process, especially when time constraints push us to quickly identify suitable candidates for open positions. In such situations, there's a tendency to lean on either the negative impression a candidate creates or on certain positive traits as shortcuts to expedite decision-making.

What is the halo effect in hiring?

Coined in 1920 by American psychologist Edward Thorndike, the term "halo effect" originated from observations in the military, where leaders tended to associate conventional attractiveness with competence and success. In recruitment, the halo effect prompts recruiters or hiring managers to form a positive impression of a candidate based on a singular, often physical, characteristic. For instance, the assumption that a good-looking person is kind or a well-groomed individual is clever. This bias often aligns with similarity bias, wherein an applicant is favored for sharing specific characteristics or experiences with their interviewer.

What is the horn effect in hiring?

The term "horn effect," also known as the reverse halo effect or negative halo effect, stands in contrast to the halo effect. In the recruitment process, the horns effect causes recruiters or hiring managers to develop a negative impression of a candidate based on a singular, often physical, characteristic. Biases associated with negative traits, often influenced by harmful stereotypes and social conditioning, can lead to assumptions like associating scruffiness with carelessness, weight with laziness, or a particular accent with lack of intelligence. These biases, centered around perceived negatives, significantly impact an organization's recruitment process. While the halo effect inclines recruiters to treat some candidates more favorably, the horns effect results in others being treated unfairly based on a single perceived "negative trait."

Finding, attracting, and recruiting top talent poses significant challenges. In the process of shortlisting candidates, organizations often lack the time and resources to thoroughly understand applicants, gather and analyze relevant information, and make objective decisions. Due to these constraints, recruiters and hiring managers frequently resort to cognitive biases, including the halo and horn effect, to expedite decisions on who to hire and who to reject. This reliance on biases can occur at any stage of the recruitment process, be it a video conference interview or an in-person assessment day. Despite the awareness that first impressions can be deceiving, it remains challenging to identify when unfair assumptions about a candidate's perceived negative traits influence hiring decisions. Consequently, measuring the extent to which the halo and horn effect shape an organization's recruitment processes proves challenging.

Unconscious biases, often triggered by a person's physical appearance, play a significant role in the recruitment process. Subjective judgments, shaped by individual recruiters or hiring managers, can be influenced by their perception of attractiveness, which, in turn, may be rooted in stigmatizing outdated stereotypes. The halo effect may lead to assumptions like associating men with better leadership skills and well-dressed individuals with higher work ethic. Conversely, the horn effect reinforces stereotypes such as older people being out of touch and blonde women being considered ignorant. Privileged backgrounds often benefit from the halo effect, while candidates from marginalized communities, facing discrimination based on factors like ethnicity, race, sexuality, gender identity, or religion, are vulnerable to the horn effect. Studies, such as a 1979 one on overweight individuals, highlight how biases affect job performance evaluations. In the workplace, the bamboo ceiling obstructs career progress for people of Asian descent due to narrow-minded perceptions. Stereotypes portraying Asian employees as meek or lacking leadership skills contribute to this barrier. The halo and horn effect also seep into the resume-screening process, where biases might unfairly attribute value based on factors like the candidate's alma mater or hobbies. Conversely, candidates from specific regions might face dismissal, reflecting biases that undermine their potential or abilities.

Cognitive biases, such as the halo and horn effect, carry substantial implications that extend beyond the recruitment process. They influence decision-making, shaping perceptions and potentially perpetuating unfair judgments in various aspects of professional and personal interactions.

How the halo and horn effect impacts recruitment

The halo effect, leading decision-makers to form positive initial impressions, often triggers confirmation bias—a cognitive behavior where individuals seek information that aligns with their initial analysis. Recruiters may display kindness towards favoured applicants, asking easier questions or adopting a friendlier approach. Furthermore, the halo effect tends to overshadow any subsequent red flags in a candidate, potentially overlooking deficiencies like lacking relevant qualifications or work experience for the role.

How the halo and horn effect impacts the workplace

The halo effect's preferential treatment can persist post-hiring, manifesting in additional learning opportunities, rapid promotions, and potentially biased performance reviews. Managers may be more lenient, overlooking mistakes and disregarding negative feedback from colleagues. When the halo and horn effect contribute to poor hiring decisions, it adversely affects workplace culture, employee productivity, mental health, and retention rates. Additionally, the horn effect disproportionately impacting individuals from marginalized communities results in a setback for workplace diversity.

To mitigate the halo and horn effect in the recruitment process, consider the following strategies: 1. Anonymous applications: Remove irrelevant information like names, dates of birth, education history, and personal interests from applications to ensure unbiased evaluation and eliminate discrimination that may impact candidates from marginalized communities. 2. Crowd wisdom: Involve diverse individuals in the decision-making process to minimize unconscious bias. Form interview panels with at least three people to balance out individual preconceptions and biases, leveraging collective judgment in hiring decisions. 3. Consistent scoring criteria: Ensure consistency across the interview and assessment process by using a standardized interview script for all applicants. Focus on analyzing specific skills rather than personal backgrounds, and implement a scoring system that evaluates candidates based on work experience and skill set rather than perceived positive qualities. 4. Collect and collate recruitment data: Implement a robust data strategy to identify and address points in the recruitment process where certain marginalized groups may be disproportionately rejected. This insight allows strategic actions to improve fairness and inclusivity. 5. Provide cognitive bias training: Conduct training to increase awareness among managers and recruiters regarding biased questions and treatment of candidates. Addressing questions about social backgrounds and exploring the reasons behind favoring one candidate over another can contribute to minimizing biases. 6. Skills assessments: Implement skills assessments to evaluate candidates based on their abilities, helping to save time, remove unconscious biases, and enhance the quality of hiring decisions. This approach can counter the influence of the halo and horn effect in quick decision-making.

Combatting the Halo Effect is crucial in making fair and accurate hiring decisions. Utilizing structured interviews, akin to ensuring every player follows the same rules in a game, helps standardize the evaluation process. With Intervue, objectivity in candidate assessment is emphasized, focusing solely on skills and abilities. This approach acts as a reliable partner, ensuring each candidate receives a fair evaluation, free from initial impressions or personal biases. On the journey to find the ideal candidate, Intervue stands as a guiding force. Their online assessments provide a clear view of each candidate's true potential, making your hiring process more precise, equitable, and ultimately successful, breaking free from the influence of the Halo Effect.