Human Resources Certification Institute (HRCI) Practice Exam

During the salary negotiation for a new hire, if you offer more than initially planned due to the candidate's high starting demand, which type of bias might have influenced your decision?

1. Confirmation bias

2. Availability bias

3. Anchoring bias

4. No bias occurred because you were still within range

The correct answer is: Anchoring bias

In this scenario, the type of bias that might have influenced the decision to offer more than initially planned due to the candidate's high starting demand is Anchoring Bias. Anchoring bias refers to the tendency to rely too heavily on the first piece of information encountered (the anchor) when making decisions. In this case, the candidate's high starting demand acted as an anchor point for the negotiation process, leading to a higher salary offer than initially planned. Confirmation bias is the tendency to search for, interpret, favor, and recall information in a way that confirms one's preexisting beliefs or hypotheses. Availability bias is the tendency to overestimate the importance of information readily available. These biases do not directly apply to the situation described in the question. Option D suggests that no bias occurred because the salary offered was still within range. However, bias can still be present even if the decision falls within an acceptable range, as biases influence the decision-making process regardless of the outcome.