Halo Horns and first impressions at interview.

Did you know that when we meet a new person, we formulate an opinion on them in the first 30 seconds?

So ultimately, we are making a judgement on them (and their ability to do the job) on what they are wearing or how they look. In recruitment circles we call this “Halo Horns”.

It’s very dangerous and also allows for unconscious bias to creep into the interview or screening. It also means we are judging someone superficially on their hair, their tie, shoes or even ethnicity!!

Why we might want to move to blind CVs

For example some people have halo horns with a surname (make a judgment). Are your hiring managers prone to making quick judgments, which bear no relation to the person’s abilities or experience. It’s why we might want to move to blind CVs.

Can you think of a time you’ve witnessed Halo Horns at interview where a candidate was pre-judged by a Hiring Manager and its hard to get past this “bias” later in the interview?

Learn more about Halo Horns on one of our TA Fundamentals Training courses or Hiring Manager Recruitment Skills programs.


Author: Rachel Hill

Rachel Hill is a highly experienced Executive and Thought Leader with over 30 years in Recruitment, Talent Acquisition (TA) Strategy, and Talent Management across Australia, the region, and globally. As Managing Director of Hill Consulting HRS, she helps organisations attract better candidates, streamline recruitment processes, and upskill hiring managers. Rachel also leads The Recruitment Skills Academy, dedicated to enhancing the skills of TA, HR, and leaders through tailored training programs on topics like unconscious bias, competency-based interviewing, and employer branding. Passionate about candidate experience, diversity, and efficiency, Rachel’s mission is simple: “Recruit Better.”