Stop Hiring People You Want to Drink With: Affinity Bias in Recruiting
Three ideas to put into practice
What affinity bias looks like in practice and why it's so hard to catch in the moment.
How likeability and cultural familiarity distort hiring decisions.
The process changes that make bias less likely without making hiring slower.
Full transcript
Derek Polowyj from Eden Scott brings a unique perspective to hiring, having studied recruitment as part of his graduate apprenticeship while working full-time in deep technology recruitment. His academic approach combined with real-world experience recruiting for everything from space tech to AI companies gives him fascinating insights into why traditional hiring keeps failing.
Derek reveals the “red pen exercise” that transforms bloated job descriptions into focused requirements, exposing how most companies haven’t actually identified what they need versus what they want. He breaks down the dangerous combination of network bias and affinity bias that’s quietly undermining diversity efforts, even in companies that think they’re progressive. From one-page CVs to buzzword-filled personal profiles, Derek explains why our current approach to CVs is fundamentally broken.
The conversation takes a powerful turn when Derek shares the story of an overseas engineer whose CV was full of “red flags” but became one of the best hires his client ever made. It’s a compelling reminder that the most surprising successes often come from candidates who don’t look good on paper but have incredible stories to tell when given the chance.
Resources Mentioned
- Derek Polowyj: https://linkedin.com/in/derek-polowyj - Recruitment specialist at Eden Scott focusing on deep technologies sector
- Eden Scott: https://edenscott.com - Scotland’s largest independent recruitment agency operating across 12+ sectors including renewable energy, deep tech, and professional services
Show Resources
- CV Free Toolkit: cvfree.me/join - Break up with the CV and get everything you need to modernize your hiring approach with skills-based assessments
- Willo: willo.video - The most cost-effective way to screen candidates at scale. Interview candidates anywhere & at any time
- Connect with the Hosts:
- Andrew “Woody” Wood: linkedin.com/in/andrew-douglas-wood
- Anita Chauhan: linkedin.com/in/anitachauhan
Derek Polowyj
Candidates answer your questions on video in their own time, and your team assesses what they say.
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