Paper Topic:

Heuristics and Bias

Workers are hired on the basis of their skill , ability to perform , and experience in their field . This is the ideal scenario . However , most often than not , other factors seem to influence the decision of hiring managers . Gender , race , and ethnicity are some of the characteristics that affect the decision on whether or not a person will be hired for a particular position . It is clear that there are some forms of heuristic and bias in the decision of hiring managers

In the given situation , it is very much unclear why the candidate

is viewed unfit for the position . She possesses the academic background suitable and necessary for the position . She has extensive experience in the field since she has worked for the firm 's competitor for the past twenty years . From these credentials alone , there is no reason why she should not be hired for the marketing manager position . Thus , the decision of my co-worker not to hire the candidate is highly questionable in the legal , ethical , and the rational aspects

There is a clear judgment heuristic at play in my co-worker 's decision not to hire the candidate . Since all other characteristics of the candidate seem to satisfy the needs and requirements of the position , it seems that it is the candidate 's gender and racial or ethnic background that turned off my coworker . Basing his decision on race and ethnicity alone is a clear indication of a judgment heuristic . Specifically , the adjustment and anchoring heuristic may have led my co-worker to decide the way he did . This heuristic influences how people assess probabilities of events . In the given situation , my co-worker 's put too much emphasis on the candidate 's gender and ethnic background that he failed to look at the importance of the candidate 's credentials . The candidate 's racial origin became my co-worker 's anchor in his judgment and he failed to adjust his decision to consider the candidate 's overall suitability for the position

According to Epley and Gilovich (2006 , errors in judgment usually occur when insufficient adjustments are made from the anchor . Furthermore , the same authors noted that people tend to stop adjusting when they have reached a plausible value (Epley and Gilovich , 2006 ) In the case of my co-worker , the candidate 's race and served as the anchor for his decision-making . Failing to consider the academic qualifications and work experience of the candidate is an example of insufficient adjustment . As Epley and Gilovich (2006 ) pointed out , insufficient adjustment is commonly invoked to explain judgmental biases ' It is in this way that the anchoring and adjustment heuristic influenced my co-worker 's decision not to hire the candidate

Not only is my co-worker 's judgment erroneous , it is ethically and legally wrong as well . It is a violation of the candidate 's civil rights . Specifically , my co-worker violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 . The said federal law prohibits and bars employers and employees from discriminating people in their workplace on...

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