A Selection Committee is a group of people who make decisions about hiring a candidate for a particular role. A diverse committee can help minimize the possibility that any one decision maker has a bias against or for a particular candidate. Ideally, a Selection Committee is composed of supervisors or peers with different perspectives about the position incumbent or requirements. It is also important that the committee includes members with a variety of functional expertise, including those with experience hiring new employees. Ideally, the Selection Committee is a mix of male and female members to represent gender diversity. In addition, committee members should have different backgrounds, which include ethnicity, education and age.
Whether it’s March Madness or the annual selection process that selects a member of parliament for a parliamentary committee, it’s essential that the entire Selection Committee has the skills necessary to carry out its duties effectively and without bias. Often, the process is a long and tedious one that takes several months to complete. During that time, it’s easy to lose focus on the key objective of the Selection Committee: to select a qualified candidate to fill an open position.
The NCAA Selection Committee is frequently criticized by fans and the media for a perceived bias towards power conference schools and the big brand names of the sport. There is likely some truth to the idea that the committee favors teams with name recognition and a large following, but it’s important to remember that the Selection Committee is only human.
In order to avoid the appearance of bias, Selection Committee members should be familiar with SIAM’s conflict-of-interest guidelines and follow them carefully. Those with a potential conflict of interest should declare it and explain the circumstances of the conflict. If a committee feels that the conflict of interest is too severe to continue with the selection process, it may decide to appoint an alternate member to take their place.
To prevent bias, committee members should use a random ordering system for evaluating and discussing nominees. This will ensure that all nominees receive a fair amount of attention, rather than some being evaluated or discussed earlier and others later. It’s also a good idea for each committee member to make their own personal list of top nominees before hearing the recommendations of other members. This will help to avoid presentation bias and allow each individual to develop their own ideas independently. This will also reduce the likelihood of quid pro quo between committee members and candidates.