You just missed... How hiring bias costs you top talent

Despite a collective effort to root it out, hiring bias continues to impact workplaces of all sizes. And while there’s plenty of data that highlights the problem, it’s easy to forget that behind every statistic is a real person. A person whose career, ambitions, and access to opportunities have been directly impacted by explicit and implicit biases in the hiring process. That’s why we want to put the spotlight on a few individuals who overcame hiring bias to achieve monumental success. So here are just a few examples of some of the most common forms of hiring bias, and the top talent that you miss when you (knowingly or unknowingly) engage in that bias.

“He just seems too eccentric.” You just missed… Albert Einstein

Before he created the theory of relativity, the father of quantum mechanics, and the most famous physicist of all time Albert Einstein was a patent clerk struggling to find gainful employment in academia. As a student, Einstein developed a reputation for being easily bored, socially awkward, and impulsive. According to Einstein: “school failed me, and I failed the school. It bored me. The teachers behaved like sergeants.” Because of his seeming inability to behave how his teachers wanted, he was unable to secure any letters of recommendations. After graduating in 1900 with a certificate to teach math and physics Einstein spent two years trying and failing to secure any sort of work, teaching or otherwise.It was only thanks to a friend’s father that a young Einstein found work at the Swiss patent office, where he worked for seven more years as he struggled to find a path into a career in academia. In those seven years Einstein authored and co-authored several published physics papers and completed a doctorate in theoretical physics. Einstein’s published papers soon found fame within the physics community and in 1908 Einstein was finally able to land a position as a junior teacher. Thirteen years later he won the Nobel Prize.Today many scientific historians and neurologists believe that Einstein had some combination of autism, ADHD, dyslexia, and dyspraxia, the four most prevalent types of neurodiversity. Those very same traits that earned Einstein the ire of his teachers are the same traits that many neurodiverse job seekers struggle to find accommodations for as they navigate the hiring process. Over a century after Einstein struggled to find work, nearly half of neurodivergent job seekers report facing significant bias in the hiring process. Perhaps Einstein put this problem best: “everybody is a genius, but if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.”

“She’s not a culture fit.” You just missed… Oprah Winfrey

Before she became a billionaire media mogul, a global philanthropist, and one of the most influential women of all time, Oprah Winfrey was a young Black woman trying to break into an industry that wasn’t built for her.At 22, Winfrey was fired from her new job as a news anchor in Baltimore. Her White co-anchor remained in his position. Her boss told her she was “too emotional” for television news. This coded critique is often used against women, especially Black women, in professional settings. In reality, she was being penalized for the very qualities that would make her legendary: her ability to connect, to listen, and to tell stories with empathy and authenticity.Her firing was not an isolated incident. Black professionals, especially Black women, are still disproportionately labeled as “not a culture fit” in hiring decisions and workplace evaluations. Studies show that Black candidates are more likely to be judged on subjective “soft skills” like personality or communication style rather than concrete qualifications. And when companies prioritize “fit” over potential, they often end up hiring for sameness rather than strength.But Oprah didn’t change who she was to fit in—she built her own lane. She took the very thing that got her fired and turned it into her greatest asset, pioneering a talk show format that centered human connection, vulnerability, and truth. The same industry that once dismissed her would later celebrate her as a trailblazer.

“They don’t have the right education.” You just missed… Maya Angelou

Before she became one of the most celebrated poets and authors of all time, Maya Angelou never attended college. She never earned a formal degree at all. Instead, she built her expertise through lived experience. She worked as a streetcar conductor, a cook, a dancer, a singer, and a civil rights activist before publishing her groundbreaking autobiography, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. Despite lacking a traditional academic background, Angelou went on to receive over 50 honorary degrees and held a lifetime professorship at Wake Forest University.Angelou’s story is not unique. Many talented professionals are overlooked because they do not have a four-year degree, even when they have the skills and experience to excel. Research shows that degree requirements disproportionately disadvantage marginalized groups, particularly Black and Hispanic candidates, who often face systemic barriers to higher education. According to a Harvard Business School report, millions of middle-skill jobs now require a degree even when the work itself has not changed. This "degree inflation" shuts out qualified applicants who could otherwise thrive in those roles.By prioritizing degrees over skills, employers risk passing over high-potential talent. More companies are beginning to adopt skills-based hiring, but the bias against non-degree holders remains deeply ingrained. Angelou’s career is proof that expertise is not only found in lecture halls. It is built through experience, resilience, and the ability to bring something unique to the table. The real question is not whether someone has a degree, but whether they have the ability to drive impact.

Who have you missed?

Hiring bias has shut out talent that could have transformed industries, redefined culture, and driven progress. The stories of Einstein, Winfrey, and Angelou are reminders of what organizations risk losing when they let bias dictate who gets a chance. But these are just the famous names, the same biases continue to impact millions of qualified job seekers today. The good news is that bias is not an unsolvable problem. It starts with awareness, but it requires action. Rethinking hiring practices, challenging outdated standards, and focusing on skills over stereotypes can unlock the full potential of a workforce. The next Einstein, Winfrey, or Angelou are out there. The real question is: will you find them before your competitors do. Find out more here.