The human factor in hiring

The human factor in hiring: how the recruiter’s mood influences the choice of a candidate
The hiring process should be based on objective criteria such as candidates’ competencies, experience and skills. However, in practice, the hiring decision is often influenced by subjective factors, including the recruiter’s mood, energy level and even physiological needs!
How do a recruiter’s personal states affect hiring?
A recruiter is not a robot; it’s a human being too, and their decisions can be influenced by a variety of external circumstances:
Emotional state. If a recruiter is in a good mood, he or she may be more inclined to approve a candidate, even if the candidate isn’t a perfect fit.
Physical condition. Studies show that being hungry or tired can make people more critical and demanding, while being satiated and rested can make people more loyal and positive.
External factors. The time of day, the temperature in the room, stress from other work tasks – all of these can affect how well a recruiter is situated with a candidate.
Examples of human factors influence
A recruiter spent the morning stuck in traffic, skipped breakfast, and came to the interview irritated – the candidate’s chance of being rejected increases dramatically.
After a hearty lunch or a successful meeting, the recruiter feels relaxed and makes a positive decision, even if the candidate lacks experience.
On a Friday evening, when thoughts are already occupied with the weekend, the recruiter may approve the candidate faster, just to finish the working day sooner.
How can you reduce the influence of subjective factors?
To avoid recruitment mistakes, companies should implement more objective assessment mechanisms:
Structured interviews. Asking the same questions of all candidates helps minimize the influence of mood.
Assessment checklists. Defined criteria with a point system help make the hiring process fairer.
Multiple interview stages. Evaluating a candidate by different people at different times reduces the impact of one particular recruiter’s emotional background.
The human factor is unavoidable, but it should not become crucial in the hiring process. It is important to be aware of the influence of subjective states on the selection process and minimize them through objective tools. This is the only way to create a professional and efficient team based on real competencies, not on the mood of the recruiter at the moment of decision-making.