DISCOVERING AND UNDERSTANDING UNCONSCIOUS BIAS

Unconscious Bias in the Workplace

Unconscious bias exists everywhere in the world. The reality is that no one is a perfect being and everyone has biases to some extent, even if he/she does not realize it. Unconscious biases are the attitudes and stereotypes people attribute to another group of people that affect how they understand and interact with a person or group. These biases can be extremely hurtful to those affected without you even knowing what you did. Many assume these biases only apply to race, gender, and age; however, there are over 150 types of unconscious bias. You may have never thought about them but as you grow up, your environment, surroundings, culture, and key influencers all shape your belief systems. People are inherently programmed to allocate positive qualities to others who appear to be like themselves or belong to the same social or ethnic group. It is important to note that unconscious biases do not need to be permanent, as you can increase your awareness and adapt your behaviors.

The key to changing these biases is first becoming aware of what they are. People need to take a deeper look into how these judgements affect others as it is often overlooked, even by Fortune 500 CEOs. Taking time to learn about what unconscious biases are is the first step to fixing the problem, but it is not the last. This article will reveal the impact implicit bias has, the most overlooked biases, and be a guide to help you solve this problem.

The Effects of Unconscious Bias

The Cost of Unconscious Bias

To lead a successful team, you need trust, authenticity, respect, and reliability. These are not attainable when you allow biases to affect decision making. Associates lose motivation to work, do not feel comfortable sharing ideas, and in the end, they may even leave the company.

Losing your top talent because of hurtful and ignorant comments or poor decision making can negatively impact your team, undermine the group’s trust, and reduce productivity. A study conducted by the Center for Talent Innovation found that employees who experienced a form of implicit bias were 3x more likely to be disengaged in the workplace. This is detrimental as disengagement costs U.S. companies approximately $500 billion every year according to Gallup. In addition, the study revealed that 34% of people did not share their ideas in the last six months because they experienced some form of unconscious biases. This impedes innovation and teams can often struggle when members do not act as one. If the problem continues, employees will leave as it becomes an unenjoyable work environment and feel their voices are not heard, let alone utilize. Gallup found that people who experienced implicit bias were 3x as likely to want to leave their current company in less than a year. Losing high-performing employees is detrimental to any company so the question has now become, “How do we eliminate these biases so all may flourish in the workplace?”

The First Step

The first step to eliminating these biases is learning what they are. You must first be aware of your own biases before you can address them. Take time to read the following bullet points and think back to the last encounter you had with this person and how you acted. Place yourself in his/her shoes and think how it could have been perceived by others.

Common Unconscious Biases

• Race
• Gender
• Age
• Religion
• Height
• Hair Length
• Underweight
• Overweight
• Tattoos
• Drug Addiction
• Introvert
• Extrovert
• Sexual Orientation
• Body Piercings
• Dress/Clothes
• Surname
• Disability
• Single Parent
• Victim of Abuse
• Socioeconomic Status
• Geographic Location
• Education
• Jobless
• Diet
• Politics
• Music
• Vocabulary
• Mental Health
• Men Taking Off Work
• Women Taking Off Work

Who It Affects

After reading each of the bullets, you can start to see how biases affect the way we view people who seem different than us. Unconscious biases can affect a decision around who receives a promotion, a great assignment, a recognition award, etc. For example, a manager may need an employee to go on a business trip. However, if he/she believes a single parent does not want to go because of the childcare, it can cause major problems as it may impede on career advancement. Single parents are some of the hardest working people on the planet; however, if they are passed up time and time again, how will they ever advance? In this case, the manager should discuss with the single parent and determine if he/she would like to go. This creates an opportunity rather than closed off potential.

How to Raise Your Self-Awareness

It is difficult to truly see yourself close enough to identify these biases. However, there are some great resources you can use to help you. One of the most popular is the Harvard Implicit Bias Test. It contains over a dozen online assessments that can help you identify your own unconscious biases. These are extremely helpful because you can focus on these areas and make changes.

The Role of a Leader

Now that you are aware these biases, the next step is ensuring biases are not affecting your decisions in the workplace. Again, the key is recognizing any biases you have and adapting your actions. The scenarios below will help you examine how these biases are hurtful to others.

Hiring/Interviewing

Often, you may not realize how the way you structure questions can introduce bias. For example, imagine an overweight man interviewing for a typical sales job. Questions should never be target towards one individual as these questions are biased in of itself. Managers have been known to ask, “Are you able to go on a plane to travel?” You can rephrase this question by asking “This position requires 25% business travel. Are you okay with this expectation?” This will allow the person to open up and share their experience without feeling offended.