Week $5$: The Future of Interviewing?

While most people involved in the hiring process simply want to hire the best person for the job, unconscious bias may lead them to hire candidates who look and sound like they do$,$ thus leading to discrimination. As a way to mitigate unconscious bias in the hiring process, some are looking to a technological fix. Developing technologies in virtual reality allow people to choose avatars, animated images that represent them in virtual worlds that some refer to as the metaverse.

Imagine that your next job interview is conducted in the metaverse. You choose an avatar that represents some aspect of your personality, but does not look or sound like you. Your interviewer, or interviewers, do the same. Moreover, you choose a name that isn't your given name and does not reveal your race, gender, or ethnicity. The entire interview is conducted in such a way that the interviewers don't know what you look or sound like in real life, meaning that they must make the hiring decision based purely on the quality of your answers to their questions.

Supporters of virtual reality style interviewing would argue that it will eliminate the problem of bias, leading to a more diverse workforce. Detractors feel that the human connection is an essential part of the job interview process, and that avatars simply aren't the same thing as real people. Moreover, supporters of affirmative action might point out that some employers purposely hire underrepresented minorities to increase workforce diversity, and that using avatars would make it more difficult to make strides toward greater diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Assume the following scenario:$$

Your company has just purchased a new virtual reality software that allows employees to attend virtual meetings using avatars. During this virtual meeting, your Human Resources Director proposes using virtual reality for all employment interviews going forward, arguing that doing so will eliminate problems of unconscious bias and lead to hiring decisions based purely on merit. The President isn't quite sure if this is the right way to go and asks to hear from everyone before making a final decision.$$

Should virtual reality be used for employment interviews? Why or why not?