I must confess that I am a big fan of one of the most popular reality TV shows, “The Voice.” The fact that the selection process is a blind choice (judges do not see the contestants perform — they only hear their voices) is what makes this show special for me. In this season’s premiere, the producers decided to hide the identity of one contestant from both the TV audience and the judges. It was obvious that something unusual was about to happen.

The contestant sang a contemporary song and the voice was excellent. Based on what we heard, we expected to see a young female with a wardrobe from the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Of course, what we saw was a young man who was overweight, wore a sweater instead of a leather jacket and had a demeanor that did not match the music. Because this was a blind audition, his appearance was not a detriment, and he was judged solely on his singing. The judges loved his voice, and he was delighted to be judged by his talent and not his looks.

Imagine if job interviews were conducted using the same approach. Would this help eliminate discrimination? The interviewer would only hear your voice, and you would be hidden behind a screen until after a hiring decision was made. I know a few unemployed men in their late 50s who think this would be a great idea. Make hiring decisions based on the candidate’s qualifications and let’s stop this insane practice of choosing people based on their ability to perform well in the job interview.

Selecting the best person for the job extends beyond knowledge, experience and skills. If it were that simple we would administer a test, and the person with the highest score would win. Actually, Civil Service administers tests to fill its positions and the hiring supervisor must choose from the three candidates with the highest test scores. This approach has its pros and cons, but I’m going out on a limb to make the claim that many excellent candidates never make the top three because they don’t perform well on tests. My search for the perfect interviewing and hiring method is not over.

I recently read an article “How Unconscious Bias Affects Everything You Do” written by Howard Ross. He suggests that the question is not “Do we have bias?” but rather “Which are ours?” We’re all aware of hiring discrimination based on race and gender, but there are many less obvious biases that affect hiring decisions. I know a manager who pretty much eliminates candidates if they don’t take the time to polish their shoes before an interview. Many women have lost out because the hiring manager believed the clothing they chose for the interview was inappropriate and reflects poorly on their decision-making skills. Do I need to mention tattoos? I’m sure many people already have suggested that you cover them up before your next job interview.

I agree with Ross that we all have bias, and I’m convinced they affect hiring decisions. So the question is what should you, or what can you do to overcome someone’s bias in an interview?

It may reduce your stress level if you simply accept the fact we all have bias and the hiring process is not always objective. Try to avoid expressing opinions that you know are hot buttons for lots of people, such as politics and religion. I’m not suggesting you should sell out your beliefs, but if it’s not relevant to your ability to perform the job, then maybe it’s not an appropriate topic for the job interview.

Prepare and practice. This shows the interviewer that you will bring that same level of responsibility when you show up for work. Your skills are what they are and there’s nothing you can do to change them before the interview. But the attitude you portray in the interview is something that can separate you from your competition.

Blind auditions are fun, but here’s my advice for those who do the hiring: I encourage you to think about the bias you bring to the interview. We’ve all got them, but it’s important we strive to be fair and objective and select the best candidate for the job.

Kaminski is president of Stone Associates Training. He is an HR consultant with 35 years of experience in the employment field, teaching managers the art of hiring great employees. He also is an adjunct instructor at Keuka College. You can contact him with your questions, suggestions and comments at bill@stoneassociatestraining.com.