Bias 2.0: Do You Have the Face of professional Competence?
Is your face condemning you before you’ve even opened your mouth? Bias traps both candidates and recruiters. Worse still, algorithms have joined the party, making everything even messier. Maybe it’s time to go back to good old phone interviews: where your voice, and only your voice, is the main character. Here’s why appearance has long overshadowed actual skill.
Let’s be honest: first interviews are rarely peak moments of human connection. On one side, a recruiter skimming your CV between two Teams meetings. On the other, you—definitely not a runway model. Maybe your forehead’s a bit receding, your lips thin, your eyes slightly sunken.
Still, you’ve done your best: neat outfit, tidy hair, clean shirt, and most importantly, you’re ready to explain that you’re a perfect fit for the job. Meanwhile, the other person is silently sizing you up.
The brain loves judging—especially for the wrong reasons
Believe it or not, the University of Glasgow—yes, a serious academic institution—confirmed that people do judge your competence and social status just by looking at your face. The study, published in January 2024 in the Journal of Experimental Psychology, spells it out.
The verdict? They came up with a composite sketch of “incompetent-looking” traits: a wide, sad, or blurry face. Downturned mouth? Not dynamic enough. Low-set eyebrows? Lack of confidence. Broad face? Poor self-control.
And here you were, thinking your master’s in comparative law would be enough.
AI-powered bias: now with more tech gloss
Oh, it gets worse. Back in 2022, researchers at Stevens Institute of Technology trained artificial intelligence on thousands of human reactions to teach it how to predict the social judgments people make based on facial features.
The official goal was to reduce bias in hiring. That’s the theory. But in practice, shouldn’t we be worried that such tools might just reinforce the very thing they claim to fight?
When AI revives ancient nonsense
Because really, who’s to say these tools won’t just be used to flag the “competence-looking” faces? Some HR teams, lacking time or scruples, might happily offload first-round screenings to AI just to ensure a visually reassuring candidate is handed to the manager. Efficient, right? Buckets of time saved, zero questions asked, and voilà !
Best part? These algorithms could be stamped “ethical,” even if they’re just mirroring our own human prejudices. After all, what could be more objective than a computer program?
Johann Caspar Lavater—the 18th-century father of physiognomy—couldn’t have dreamed of a better comeback. His pseudoscience sneaking in through the back door of deep learning. Bravo !
Kill the camera: bring back the humble phone call
So, if faces distort everything, why are we still doing first-round interviews on video or in person? Why not bring back the phone call, where only your voice carries weight? Where an ambiguous jawline doesn’t sabotage your chances.
On the phone, no one’s judging your eyebrows, skin tone, or nose symmetry. You’re reduced to a voice, a thought, a sharp mind. It puts the spotlight back on what matters: clear questions about your experience, skills, and interpersonal intelligence.
Bonus: you don’t have to stress about your outfit, lighting, or keeping a stiff smile glued to your face. You get to focus on the essentials—your ideas, your pitch, your value. Honestly, what’s the downside?
Let’s be real: we prefer the pretty idiots
Because deep down, do you need a PhD to understand that being good-looking opens more doors than being good at your job? Let’s face it, people often choose the gorgeous idiot over the clever one with a rough-looking face. That’s just how “first impressions” work.
So as long as we keep confusing surface charm with actual skill, maybe a good old-fashioned phone call is still our best shot at letting competence shine through the noise.
And if you think this bias only affects recruiters, think again. YOU will be the one working alongside those “superstar hires”—the ones who look great on screen but leave behind chaos and confusion in real life.
Until then, good luck out there. And enjoy your next team building with Brad or Barbie—the ones no one can stand after six months, but hey, they looked great on Zoom!
