The Halo Effect: Why Do We Think One Trait Reveals Everything?

In a world where first impressions count, we often find ourselves judging people and things based on a single characteristic. This psychological phenomenon can have significant consequences in various areas, both in personal relationships and in the business world. This is known as the halo effect.

Are you familiar with this phenomenon? At Talent2Win, we have extensive experience in recruitment and selection processes, so we know this phenomenon and how to manage it. In the following article, we tell you everything you need to know about the halo effect and its consequences.

What is the halo effect?

The halo effect in psychology is a cognitive bias that consists of allowing an outstanding characteristic of a person or thing to influence our overall perception of it. In other words, a positive or negative quality can determine our entire judgment, making us see only what we want to see.

Examples of the halo effect in well-known brands

1. Apple

When you think of the Apple brand, innovative and attractive devices come to mind. This is because this company has generated a halo effect that extends to all its products, even those that are not so revolutionary.

2. Starbucks

Another example of the halo effect in a company is Starbucks. It has a modern brand image and a strong social commitment. These characteristics were very important for the consolidation of its brand and its success, despite the fact that the price of its products is higher than that of the competition.

The halo effect in recruitment

In the context of recruitment, the halo effect occurs when a single positive quality (such as a charming smile or an excellent first impression) can cause us to overestimate other skills or competencies of the candidate, and vice versa.

How to avoid the halo effect in recruitment?

The following are the main measures that you should implement to reduce the impact of the halo effect in recruitment processes:

1. Blind resumes

When you want to avoid extra-professional characteristics from influencing a recruitment decision, the best measure is blind CVs. These are CVs that omit irrelevant details in the recruitment process such as names, gender, age, location, educational institution, among others.

2. Establish clear evaluation criteria

Another great way to avoid this effect is to precisely define the competencies and skills required for each position. This is key to conducting fairer and more equitable interviews. To achieve this, you must implement an evaluation rubric in all your processes, as well as standardized interviews. These tools will allow you to apply the same criteria when evaluating all candidates.

3. Use multiple and diverse teams

A diverse evaluation team can help identify biases and ensure a fairer evaluation. Additionally, by involving several evaluators with different perspectives, the risk of a single person influencing the final decision too much can be reduced.

4. Use technological tools

The arrival of technology in recruitment provides us with a great way to avoid the halo effect. The use of recruitment software (ATS systems, video interview platforms, etc.) can help automate parts of the process and reduce the influence of personal biases.

5. Constant training of the team

Training recruiters to identify and avoid cognitive biases is one of the best ways to avoid this problem. It is important to remember that all people are susceptible to biases, so it is essential to be aware of them in order to avoid them.

6. Use psychometric tests and evaluations

Psychometric assessments are recruitment tools that allow for a more objective assessment of candidates’ skills and competencies.

Let’s Recap!

The halo effect is a cognitive bias that can have significant consequences for individuals and companies. This phenomenon reminds us of the importance of critical thinking and objective evaluation in all aspects of our lives, both personal and professional.

By being aware of this phenomenon and implementing strategies to mitigate its impact, it is possible to make more objective and effective decisions. By recognizing that people and things are multifaceted, we can avoid hasty generalizations and make fairer decisions.

Talent2Win offers borderless talent consulting solutions tailored to your company. If you would like to learn about our Executive Search, Talent Acquisition or RPO services, please do not hesitate to contact us.