SHRM Certified Professional Practice Exam 2026 – All-In-One Resource to Master Your Certification!

The situation described reflects a tendency where an interviewer, in this case Thomas, assigns nearly identical ratings to all candidates regardless of their actual performance. This can often arise from various factors like personal biases or a reluctance to differentiate among candidates.

This tendency can stem from a desire to be fair or a lack of engagement with the nuances of each candidate's qualifications, which can lead to an inaccurate representation of their abilities. Such a pattern can undermine the effectiveness of the selection process, as it fails to provide a true assessment of each candidate and potentially overlooks exceptional talent.

The other types of biases, such as stereotype, leniency, or noise, represent different issues in the evaluation process. Stereotype bias occurs when an interviewer forms judgments based on preconceived notions associated with a group rather than the individual's qualifications. Leniency bias refers to the tendency to rate all candidates more favorably than warranted. Noise represents random variations in judgments, indicating inconsistencies that are not tied to actual performance. Understanding the nature of tendency bias is crucial for HR practitioners to improve their evaluation methods and ensure a fair and thorough hiring process.