One School’s Story to Unbias Hiring
Challenging Assumptions and Revealing Bias in the Hiring Process
We are all biased. And we can’t help it. Sometimes we are aware of our bias, and at other times it happens so fast we don’t even know it. Sometimes there is little or no impact, but this isn’t always the case. How might we approach hiring in a way that diminishes the impact of our biases? This story explores how Montcrest embarked on the journey to unbias hiring. It is a story that has no end. There is still work to be done.
Our story, like many, started within our community. Developing a strategic plan is an essential component of our work, yet it is a choice to be consultative and collaborate in this development process. Our process revealed some important priorities for our students, families, faculty, staff, Board of Governors and leaders to crystallize our two commitments to empower personalized learning and foster an inclusive community in action.
During a workshop with Dr. Ann Lopez (a faculty member in the Department of Leadership, Higher and Adult Education at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto) with the purpose of turning our ideas into action, it was abundantly clear that the goal to increase diversity and representation of our students, families, faculty, staff, leadership and board was of utmost importance. We heard from many that they wished for Montcrest to represent the diversity of the city we call home (Toronto).
Taking action on this goal was, of course, multifaceted. Part relates to our enrolment management, a story we will leave for another day. What shall be said is that we do recognize the parallel between admissions and hiring while also appreciating the differences inherent in these processes. We believe there is an opportunity for significant learning that may inform the admissions process based on what we are doing in our hiring process. We need to feel confident that Montcrest is an inclusive community where students will feel a sense of belonging before we actively seek to diversify our enrolment.
When embarking on a journey, it’s often useful to explore, research, learn and often unlearn. Our inquiry unearthed a company with an ambitious mission to unbias hiring.
I’m sure we are all aware of the purpose of content marketing, and yet we can also value when a company aims to do social good. Applied is one such company. Multiple team members, including our Interim Head of School, Head of Finance and School Operations, and Head of Community Relations, have taken the time to engage in various learning opportunities offered by applied. Our consistent takeaway was that:
We are all biased.
We cannot stop our unconscious biases, but we can design processes that mitigate the impact.
So, in accepting these two points, we were inspired by the words of Maya Angelou.
Growing together as a school community has included more than the work to unbias our hiring. During the time we developed and iterated on the hiring process, team members have learned about the importance of experience design with Yellow Car. We have also developed Learning Principles and Practices with the support of the Common Ground Collaborative. Our second version, iterated based on feedback from parents, faculty and staff, is nearing internal consensus.
With our Learning Principles in mind and an appreciation of the importance of designing experiences, our current hiring process is described below.
A job post is, first and foremost, declarative of the core information necessary for a candidate to know the nuts and bolts of the job, including the pay range.
The job post then describes the opportunity in brief. Next, we illustrate the immediate strategic projects to which the role will contribute. In doing so, we hope to inspire a candidate to want to be part of our community's important and urgent work.
Our About You section has been structured to reflect our shared learning language based on the 3 Cs, Conceptual, Competency and Character as defined by the Common Ground Collaborative. We are all learners, so we felt it necessary to tell the story of a possible Candidate through the sentence stems of I understand that… I am able to… and I am becoming more.. we hope to keep the bullets to a minimum. About You is followed by About Us. Our statement includes elements from our statement of commitment to equity and inclusion.
Finally, the post explains the hiring process. Being upfront about the process is a way of being transparent and neuroinclusive.
Our attraction also includes posting to known job boards and exploring new ways to attract diverse candidates. This, combined with the changes we made to the post itself, has increased the diversity of our candidate pool.
Candidates apply for roles by completing a form and responding to a few questions that gather information to help logistically with the process. Candidates then share examples about how they demonstrate the Conceptual understandings, Competencies and Character traits we have identified, including their vision for their first year in the role. In order to support candidates in responding to the form, we provide a document that explains why each question is asked.
These responses are anonymized and randomized before the panel sees them. In practice, this means all identifying information, including names, years and locations, is redacted to anonymize responses. We randomize by chunking response types and changing the order panellists see responses. We do gather CVs however these are not viewed until after the anonymized and randomized responses have been evaluated.
The anonymized and randomized responses are evaluated by a panel of 3–4 people. The intention is to have multiple perspectives evaluate candidate responses without knowing names, experience, race, country, age or the names of any institutions people may currently work for or have studied at.
Each panellist is briefed about the unbiased process acknowledging that they themselves cannot be unbiased. What we hope in using a rubric is to slow people’s thinking. The responses from the panel are then debriefed in conversation to ensure we have not lost the person in the process.
Many hiring processes leave candidate questions until the end. Just like with the order of About You and About Us, we have flipped this script so that candidates ask us questions first. They are invited to ask us anything they want to know about the role or school. We then share the next steps of the process. That’s it! No evaluation. Just active listening and responding. Doing this has streamlined the next steps since candidates have interviewed us to ensure we are where they would like to work.
Prior to the interview, candidates are given 2 of 3 scenarios that make up the skill based scenario interview.
The scenarios have been designed to illustrate situations the candidate is likely to be in or work the candidate would do if successful in the role. Candidates are able to make contact with one person as a neutral, non-evaluative member of the process. They can ask clarifying questions about the scenario or logistics of the interview. While all candidates may not take us up on the offer and people ask different questions, we aim that individuals have their needs met while being fair to all candidates — equity, not equality.
During the Scenario Interview, candidates have allocated time to respond to the two prepared scenarios and one scenario is asked live, in-person. Panellists are able to ask clarifying questions to help them evaluate the response most accurately.
Again panellists refrain from discussing candidates until they have submitted scores in the form. Based on the perceived competency, a shortlist of candidates is then progressed to the final stage of our process, Authentic Belonging.
This stage has been designed to allow candidates the opportunity to illustrate how they can imagine belonging in the Montcrest community. Cultural fit is often a prime opportunity for bias; seeking a candidate like me, someone I can imagine being friends with. To combat this, authentic belonging questions seek how candidates respond to our vision, mission, values, strategic direction, commitment to equity and inclusion, and Learning Principles and Practices. Although almost all are on our website, these materials are provided to candidates. This again helps candidates prepare, although not sharing the specific questions. Again they may ask clarifying questions prior to the interview.
The process I have shared has been used through multiple iterations to hire faculty, staff and leaders, including our current:
- Director of Student Success
- Multiple teacher roles
- Marketing & Communications Coordinator
- Data Management Coordinator
- Community Relations Coordinator
- Aftercare Coordinator
and is currently underway to hire our new Director of Wellness and School Life.
This process has been a lot to develop, live and iterate on. We are proud of our progress and know there is still work to further streamline and improve the process. We know some of those next steps while appreciating some will emerge as we exercise the process.
What do we know from candidates, both successful and unsuccessful?
They tell us they have never experienced a hiring process quite like this. It is a process where they have felt seen, heard and valued. They have felt comfortable and prepared and, most significantly, excited. We know that interviews are stressful and anxiety-inducing, so to hear from many that they have had a sense of excitement is illustrative of what we hope it is like to work at Montcrest and our commitment to our Learning Principles, particularly Wonder. It is important to us that teacher applicants experience this, but also our staff and leaders. If we hope to have a flourishing learning ecosystem, the principles and values underpinning our culture are critical.
What do we know from faculty, staff and leaders who have been part of the process?
This has been a powerful experience for many members of the Montcrest team. From a school culture stance, having teachers and staff members on hiring panels, working closely with leaders, being a part of the debrief and knowing that their perspective matters and is contributing to the school’s future is helping us build trusting relationships. As so many people were passionate about the school doing better in this area, it has been important for us as a leadership team to walk the talk and develop ideas into actions.
We acknowledge and thank,
Applied for the learning and much of the research that forms the basis of our approach.
The Common Ground Collaborative for the provocation to do better in all aspects of our learning ecosystem.
Yellow Car for helping us appreciate the importance of designing experiences that reflect who we are.
CAIS for the opportunity to share a version of this story at the National Leaders Conference held in April 2023.
