Be conscious of unconscious biases in your workplace
The issue of unconscious biases occurs more often than you may think in the corporate world. Everyday, our brains make numerous assumptions and judgments of which the majority we keep to ourselves. In many cases, we are not aware that we pre-judge or stereotype certain individuals. Despite that we may not be in full control of the bias in our consciousness, it can have a substantial impact on life and functioning in society.
What is unconscious bias?
Unconscious biases refer to associations that we hold outside of our conscious awareness and control. These biases are ingrained stereotypes and attitudes that may be adversarial to the beliefs that we hold and can essentially affect our behavior. These kinds of beliefs exist deep in our minds, and frankly, we rarely recognize them as such. Factors that cause unconscious biases are different for each person, as they are influenced by various factors such as our life experiences, economic position, ethnic background, or even our body weight, name, or height. Unconscious biases can take many forms - here are 3 types to be aware of:
Appearance bias
This type of bias refers to the judgments we form based on another person’s appearance. This could include beauty bias, weight bias, and height bias. For example, taller people are more likely to be seen as a better fit for leadership roles.
Affinity bias
Affinity bias summarises how people tend to gravitate towards people who remind them of themself. These factors include appearance, background, or beliefs. This can result in hiring people who look or think in the same way, and their points of view might be very similar.
Confirmation bias
Confirmation bias is an unintentional proneness to seek out and interpret new information in a way that confirms our beliefs. This kind of bias can have a substantial influence on the decision-making process.
The factors listed above can trigger unconscious biases and result in unequal, racist, and sexist treatment. This is why avoiding unconscious biases must be a top priority for all companies who aim to create a healthy and well-functioning workplace. Unconscious biases can have a notable influence on our attitudes, behaviours, and in some situations our decision-making. This is why our specially designed training on diversity, equity, and inclusion aims to help equip business leaders to effectively minimise the probability of unconscious biases occurring.
Unconscious biases in the workplace
When it comes to our workplaces, the case of unconscious biases becomes much more of a significant matter. Not only can it create a toxic and unfair work environment, but it can also limit people's opportunities to advance in their professional careers. For example, unconscious biases can disadvantage vulnerable individuals during the recruitment process. If the hiring manager believes that men work harder than women, younger people don’t have enough experience, and older individuals are outdated and behind the times, all listed stereotypes can strongly influence their decision-making process. Thus, it can lead to unequal treatment, and in this instance, prevent women from succeeding in their careers at companies that demonstrate this toxic behaviour. Essentially, such practices can contribute to creating a much less diverse pool of talent in your company.
If you are wondering how having diverse team members across your company can benefit your business performance and income, please visit our “Diversity and Inclusion: We can’t go forward without it” blog.
Many companies have already acknowledged the threat that unconscious biases pose, and through seeking specialist training, they aim to address such issues. Diversity, equity, and inclusion training provides a better understanding of what unconscious biases are, and how we can eliminate them from our workplace. The McKinsey report from 2017 estimates that, each year, US-based companies spend almost $8 billion on diversity training. This shows how significant it is to provide equal opportunities and have diverse teams in the business world.
Real issues require real changes
In order to redefine and change the basic practices that are holding back minority group members from having equal opportunities and to avoid unconscious biases, you can implement simple and concrete solutions into your company culture. These include reforming the recruitment process and removing the requirement to include age, and option of a photo will allow recruiters to minimise the likelihood of unconscious biases. Furthermore, posting the job advertisement on at least two different social platforms will widen your company’s audience. Re-evaluating the language used in job advertisements which may evoke stereotypical traits associated with men will also help you to establish an inclusive image, and attract a greater number of diverse applicants.
Create a work environment with us where your employees can thrive
Intending to achieve behavioural changes amongst your team members is a complex and rigorous process. We specialise in providing training, seminars, and courses to effectively approach such matters, and successfully implement the diversity, equality, and inclusion values into your corporate industry environment.
Inclusive Leadership training that includes how to face and effectively eliminate the risk of unconscious biases is an essential element of every company truly dedicated to creating fair and equal employment opportunities. Diversity, equity, and inclusion must be treated as an essential part of each company's work culture and corporate strategy. Our bespoke lecture series, training, and seminars will enable you to transform your everyday practices.
Book a consultation with one of our experts for more information on how implementing diversity, equality and inclusion can benefit your company and minimise the risk of unconscious biases amongst your team members. Diversity is our reality, but inclusion requires action. Let’s walk the talk, and help you to create a healthier work environment that will allow your employees to thrive.
