A Charismatic Challenge for Employers: How to Avoid Bias When Hiring Employees?

6/2/2025

Henry G. Uriko, Figure Baltic Advisory - People Analytics, Assessment and Management Development

Fluent speech, self-confidence, and a strong first impression are often considered the formula for success in today’s job market. And there is a good reason for this. Research shows that certain personality traits, especially extraversion, can significantly influence income disparities. But does the ability to communicate and exhibit confidence truly guarantee a successful career? And do quieter, less visible but equally competent professionals get overlooked?

Why Can Personality Influence Career Opportunities?

The influence of personality traits on career success is not a matter of guesswork. Psychological research consistently shows that certain traits have a significant impact on professional outcomes and income levels. A meta-analysis of more than 60 studies revealed that extraversion, conscientiousness, and openness to experience are most often correlated with higher earnings.

It’s no surprise that personality differences are especially pronounced in the workplace. Extraverts naturally feel more at ease in social contexts, exhibit self-confidence, and have the ability to form connections quickly - traits often valued as leadership potential. As a result, they are more visible, climb the career ladder faster, and hold higher, better-paid positions.

Introverts, while often highly competent and analytically deep, can sometimes be overlooked - especially in organizations where fast-paced and intensive communication is the norm. Traits like neuroticism or excessive modesty can suppress professional opportunities, even when objective job performance is excellent. Furthermore, introverts are often less likely to raise issues regarding salary or promotions, further increasing the income gap.

Thus, one conclusion arises: in today’s job market, technical or professional skills alone are not enough - personality profiles determine the opportunities a person realistically has, how they are perceived by others, and the level of achievement they can expect in their career.

A Challenge for Employers: How to Recognize True Talent?

As artificial intelligence and technology rapidly advance, the professional environment is changing quickly, and this pace is only set to increase. While technical knowledge and education remain highly valued, more attention is being paid to creativity, soft skills, and leadership qualities - areas where AI cannot replicate human performance. This reflects global trends in which interpersonal skills are becoming a key factor for career growth.

However, HR departments and talent scouts face the biggest challenge: how to distinguish true competence from impressive but superficial appearances. It’s no surprise that personality traits strongly influence employee selection processes. Traditional interviews often favor those who speak fluently, appear confident, and are socially active. On the other hand, introverts, who may find interviews stressful, struggle to express themselves fully, and as a result, their potential remains unnoticed. This limits both their career opportunities and the ability of organizations to attract a diverse range of talents. As a result, a phenomenon known as “charisma bias” is occurring in recruitment, where decisions are made based on likability rather than actual ability and competence.

When conducting seminars and workshops in the Baltic States, I often ask managers to reflect on their candidate selection decisions and explain why they chose one candidate over another. More than half mention that their choice was influenced by a “good rapport” with the candidate or by intuition. When I suggest that these managers - whom I sometimes refer to as “clairvoyants” - use application forms to illustrate their decision-making process, their reactions vary. This underscores a common challenge in recruitment: decisions are often guided more by personal impressions than by objective criteria.

How to Achieve Unbiased Hiring?

Intuition is an important factor that can help in decision-making, but when evaluating people, too much emphasis is often placed on it. After all, banks don’t grant loans based on intuition, and investors don’t buy companies simply because they "hit it off" with the seller. The same should apply to the hiring process. Decisions should be based on objective criteria, not just first impressions or charisma.

To make objective and fair decisions when hiring or promoting employees, organizations should use various assessment tools that help evaluate candidates based on their skills, competencies, and behavior at work, providing a more comprehensive and reliable picture of their potential.

For example, recruitment processes often include simulation tasks. And not without reason. These tasks allow candidates to perform real-world job-related tasks, helping to accurately assess their practical abilities and problem-solving skills, rather than just their experience. In addition, cognitive ability tests can be used in the process to evaluate logical thinking and decision-making processes, which are crucial for specific roles.

Structured interviews with standardized questions also help reduce bias and ensure consistent evaluation of candidates based on the same criteria. Additionally, high-reliability personality tests allow for objective assessment of personality traits that may impact job performance.

Today, charisma often overshadows decision-making. Therefore, to build strong teams, it’s essential to move from intuition and speculation to clear competence evaluation models, as personality may open the door, but only competence can keep it open.