Have you ever come across individuals in the workplace who seem to have an unconditional lean towards a certain perspective or way of doing things? They may have an unconscious bias. An unconscious bias is quite a common feature of many people. We all develop them to a certain degree. However, when these unconscious biases negatively affect the workplace, then there's a problem that we need to consider a solution for.
In this article, we'll examine unconscious bias in the workplace and how to deal with it.
What is unconscious bias?
Also known as implicit bias, unconscious bias is the idea that a person has a set of preferences instilled in them from their childhood. These preferences refer to how they deal with different situations and relate to other people. These preferences are unintentional; the individual with them doesn't often know that they have or do them.
How unconscious bias affects the workplace
Unconscious biases can negatively affect the workplace in a few ways, like:
leading to discrimination
create unfair disadvantages for some employees
exclude certain groups of people
Examples of unconscious bias
Unconscious bias can show itself in the workplace in many ways. People come from many backgrounds and develop their own opinions on how things should work. As you can imagine, this would result in a bunch of different unconscious biases in people. Here are some examples of unconscious biases in a diverse workplace:
1. Conformity bias
Conformity bias in the workplace is when a person's tendency is to always agree with certain groups of people regardless of their own preferences or opinions. Now, you might not see this as completely harmful in itself, considering we all have done this at some point or another. But, in the business context, the conformity bias can pose some issues.
For example, say you're in a team meeting, and you consistently take suggestions and advice from people who live in the same area as you while ignoring the rest. This will make the others feel undermined and undervalued, not to mention that you also will be limiting the effectiveness of your team.
2. Beauty bias
Bias in the workplace can also be based on the appearance of others. Beauty bias is the practice of showing partiality to a particular group of people based on their appearance. This could be based on what they wear or the way they look.
For example, a person with a beauty bias would overlook another who doesn't meet their outward appearance standards. Consider two people applying for the same job. The one is dressed moderately, with standard formal clothes, while the other dresses to impress, with a brand name suit and jewellery to go with it. A person who has a beauty bias would hire the latter over the former without considering their skills or qualifications for the job.
3. Gender bias
Gender bias in the workplace has been around and argued for decades, and it is still currently a pressing discussion in the world. The fight for equality for women seemed to be won when they were made equal in the civil rights laws of most countries. Debates about the gender pay gap and opportunities for women still wage on. Gender bias occurs when an employer shows bias towards one gender based on their preference. It can happen to both genders. However, history has shown that gender bias is more common against women than men.
4. Affinity bias
Also known as similarity bias, this is when someone shows favouritism to another because they share some similarities. For example, a male manager might have a stronger relationship with a co-worker based on their interests, such as sports. As a result, they might turn to the for participation in projects more than others.
5. Confirmation bias
Lastly, confirmation bias. This is when a person forms an opinion about another with limited information and then waits to confirm their opinion by looking for evidence to validate it. But there's a floor in the way this works. While you're busy looking for the evidence to prove your suspicions, you focus solely on the negative, becoming subjective in your view of that person and compromising your ability to develop a well-balanced opinion of them.
How do you deal with unconscious bias in the workplace?
We all need people to point out our blind spots now and then so that we can be more attentive in dealing with them. However, we need to remember that biases are unconscious. Meaning the person doesn't know that they're doing them. So, correcting them harshly isn't going to be the best way to go. Here are some ways that you can effectively deal with unconscious biases in your workplace:
Train employees to identify bias in the workplace
Ever heard the saying, "You don't know what you don't know"? Well, in this case, it rings true. Your employees won't know how to identify unconscious bias, let alone deal with it, if they don't know what it is.
So, the best foot forward here would be to train them. Equipping them to identify bias in the workplace and in themselves while also giving them the tools to deal with it will significantly help eliminate unconscious bias in the workplace.
Create a more inclusive workspace
Inclusivity has become a common word in the world these days. Cultures and people change with each generation, becoming more and more diverse. Creating a plan to ensure your work culture includes all people is a step in the right direction. This doesn't mean that you need to suddenly adopt a humanitarian cause or a specific worldview; rather, it means you need to create an environment where diversity can thrive. To achieve this, you need to go straight to the roots of your company's hiring and interview process. For example:
Avoid looking at potential employees' personal information and rather conduct blind interviews. This will help you avoid conformity bias and create an opinion on them before they come in.
Have set goals for hiring managers and make the effort to diversify your leadership structure. Avoid gender bias when it comes to the hiring process and hire people based on their qualifications and fit for the role.
Interview potential employees equally. Ask them similar questions and give them the same treatment. This should help level out your hiring decisions and make the process more fair.
Likewise, to combat unconscious bias in the workplace, you also want to deal with it swiftly and sharply, especially when it has a significant impact on the employees affected. When addressing unconscious bias, we'd suggest pulling the employees aside, speaking to them one-on-one and explaining to them what the bias is and how it affects others in the workplace. Give them solutions to how to avoid unconscious bias and help them as they try to do it. Remember, they won't be able to overcome unconscious bias overnight.
Frequently asked questions
Where should you start when dealing with unconscious bias?
Because people are so unique and all have diverse upbringings, there's a good chance that there will be a lot of unconscious biases to deal with. With that in mind, it's unrealistic to think that you'd be able to tackle everyone's unconscious biases. Let's be honest; some of them aren't harmful. So, that leaves the harmful ones. For instance, if your managers have affinity bias or gender bias. Start with the bias that's most common in your workplace, too. Then, from their work, down the list.
Is there a way to ensure my staff are more aware of unconscious bias?
Totally! Unconscious bias training is probably the best way to help them learn about it; then, you can implement policies to help them continue to be aware of it. Consider reviewing employee behaviour and conducting performance reviews or inspections to find if any biases exist. If you notice any, then you can take disciplinary action to snuff it out before it gets worse.
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