Summary
Our ability to accurately judge talent is hampered by unconscious and subjective distractions. Hiring decisions can be affected by superficial first impressions, such as height, attractiveness or likability rather than potential work skills. Evaluating performance on an ongoing basis faces similar obstacles: we may not be able to shake off our first impressions, or we may signal expectations and thus cause the behavior we expect. Judging talent requires objective, diagnostic data to make accurate assessments—in predicting on-the-job performance and in evaluating performance over time.