A research-based learning method that helps you find the right people for the job.

How Research-Based Learning Improves Hiring Outcomes

Today, many organizations strive to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). However, these efforts often fail to deliver the expected results. In particular, trainings aimed at reducing discrimination rarely lead to actual behavioral change or have a measurable impact on core functions such as hiring.

As a result, organizations face a fundamental question: how can they improve their hiring processes while maintaining fairness principles—without spending large sums on ineffective programs? One possible answer lies in research-based learning, which offers specific, practical, and measurable approaches.

The Problem with Traditional Programs

Research shows that many types of training simply don’t work. They tend to be too general, vague, and disconnected from specific decision-making contexts. Moreover, when training sessions lack opportunities for practical application, participants quickly forget what they’ve learned. Consequently, managers’ decisions remain largely unchanged after training.

A New Approach Based on Behavioral Science

The new method is grounded in behavioral science. It introduces learning interventions delivered exactly when a manager is about to make a decision. For example, short learning modules can be provided right before conducting an interview with a candidate. Advice given at this moment is far more impactful because it directly relates to an immediate decision.

This approach also combines learning with process redesign. If a manager is trained to use standardized evaluation criteria, those same criteria should be incorporated into the organization’s official interview formats.

Practical Results

Recent field experiments confirm that this approach can significantly improve fairness in hiring processes. For instance, in one U.S.-based study, organizations that implemented behavioral learning interventions close to the point of decision saw the approval rate for female candidates increase by about 12%.

Furthermore, such methods encourage managers to engage in self-reflection by requiring them to plan and justify their decisions in writing. This promotes more deliberate and equitable decision-making.

How to Apply This Method

• Timely and concise learning. Short modules or reminders delivered right at the moment of decision-making.

• Standardized criteria for all candidates. Create a clear evaluation scale to assess each applicant.

• Anonymous pre-screening. Temporarily hide gender, ethnicity, and name information to minimize bias.

• Analytical approach. Collect data from all hiring stages to identify where biases may emerge.

• Feedback and continuous improvement. Monitor whether managers continue to apply the principles after training.

Promoting diversity and fairness in organizations doesn’t require emotional appeals or mandatory trainings alone. More effective are methods that are timely, concrete, and supported by structural process changes. The research-based learning approach fits precisely this description—practical, data-driven, and impactful.

*The article was also prepared using data from AI․