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Confirmation bias
It is the tendency to interpret the information that comes to us, in such a way that it validates our way of thinking. For example, when discussing the results of a performance assessment with a person being evaluated, we can make the mistake of focusing on everything that confirms our beliefs about that person, without taking into account the different real nuances in their job performance.
Also, we have definitions of other types of biases: From Similarity, Memory, Central Tendency, Commitment Escalation and Gender bias.
In Human Resources, this bias can affect different processes related to people management. It can arise during a recruitment interview when a positive or negative first impression leads us to interpret the candidate's subsequent answers according to that initial perception. It can also influence decisions related to promotion, potential identification, or the allocation of development opportunities.
In a performance evaluation, confirmation bias can lead us to look for examples that support a manager's existing opinion about an individual rather than objectively assessing the full range of available evidence. This can result in certain achievements, behaviours, or areas for improvement receiving disproportionate attention.
We give you the keys that can affect your rational judgment so that you can participate in a performance assessment process without falling into possible cognitive biases. You will help your collaborators to develop their talent by providing an objective and constructive vision.
Nowadays, with the available technologies, carrying out performance appraisal processes is very simple. But to carry it out effectively, we must reflect on a series of errors into which we can sometimes fall and we must become aware of them in order to avoid them and make our initiative a success!
