Unconscious bias in the workplace

According to the American Forbes magazine, the human brain subconsciously processes about 11 million pieces of information per second, while it processes only 40 parts consciously. With so many decisions being processed and accessed subconsciously, it is crucial that companies and organizations understand the risks involved in their daily activities, and seek to educate their employees to help them get rid of their implicit biases in order to promote inclusive and professional work environments and diversity.

What is unconscious bias?

Unconscious bias or implicit bias, as it is also known, refers to the mental association that is made between traits and different social groups such as race, gender, or disability, and are prejudices that are made without conscious awareness. These automatic preferences or stereotypes mainly contribute to the lack of diversity and inclusivity in the workplace. In 1998, a team of social psychologists from Yale and Washington University conducted a landmark study looking for the facts behind people's biases. They measured the root cause of their biases. The study concluded that biases exist in 90-95% humans. 

Unfortunately, unconscious bias has become a common reality in our lives, and the American company McKinsey & Company referred to the bias of artificial intelligence as well, which can be defined as a case of deviation in the results of machine learning algorithms that occurs due to the presence of biased hypotheses during the development process. The algorithm, which is a reflection of society's racism and bias against a certain group, or it may be the result of bias in the training data that is fed to the artificial intelligence system.

Our background, life experiences, and cultural values influence our decisions, and over time the human brain has developed the ability to use these experiences to create shortcuts that allow us to navigate through the vast amount of information we are exposed to on a daily basis. This cognitive ability can be very useful, but it often leads to quick decisions that can often be wrong. In a work context, this can have a negative impact on hiring decisions, hinder employee development, impair diversity and increase the rate of loss of employees and workers in companies and organizations.

Types of unconscious bias

Unconscious biases are usually beyond our awareness and can inadvertently influence who is selected for job interviews, how interviews are conducted, who is hired and the reasons for hiring. The first step in combating unconscious biases is to become aware of their different types in order to recognize these attitudes and how they are expressed in our behaviour.

• Gender bias

Gender bias is simply a preference for one gender over the other. This often results from our deeply rooted beliefs about gender roles and stereotypes.

• Familiarity bias (Affinity bias)

Affinity bias refers to the unconscious preference for people who are similar to us, whether that be in looks, traits, or beliefs, as we are more inclined to work and talk to those who are compatible with us.

• Halo effect

The halo effect occurs when we focus on a particular wonderful feature of a person, which causes us to view everything about the person in this “halo” light, and makes us believe that they are more perfect than they are.

• Horns effect

The horn effect is the opposite of the halo effect, where we focus on a particularly negative feature about a person, which changes our view of their other qualities.

• Beauty bias

It is a social behavior that often negatively affects women in the workplace. For example, attractive women are seen as less competent than their male counterparts.

• Confirmation bias

Confirmation bias refers to the way people primarily look for pieces of evidence that support their opinions, rather than looking at the whole picture. 

The effects of unconscious bias in the workplace

It is widely recognized that diversity of ideas and innovation are essential to achieving bottom line results and increasing productivity in the workplace, but our implicit preferences for people who look like us still challenge our ability to create these conditions.

 Biases can influence every interaction we do, from the language used in job descriptions and decisions about who to hire or promote, to officials ignoring the poor performance of employees they know and love.

During the hiring process, biases can lead to generalizations that determine the right candidate for the job based on the perceived origin of their name or nationality rather than their skills. One study by Raconteur revealed that around 24% of British job applicants received positive responses from employers, compared to only 15% of ethnic minority applicants with CVs that closely matched those of British job applicants. . Gender biases are also pervasive in many job roles that attract one gender more than the other, for example, those who work in nursing must be women, and those who work in engineering must be men. Traditional stereotypes may influence men's and women's career choices, but managers need to communicate the qualities and characteristics required for jobs and select candidates accordingly, realizing how easily gender biases can arise.

In some severe cases, strong bias of any kind can lead to workplace bullying, unlawful harassment or discrimination, putting companies at risk of reputational damage as well as financial costs as abuses and problems worsen.

Countering unconscious bias and promoting a culture of diversity

Implicit biases are not easy to address because they are unconscious in nature and can be difficult to recognize and accept. However, a culture of respect for others must be fostered to encourage the freedom to express diverse ideas that lead to greater creativity and innovation, and this is very important in a work context.

Countering unconscious bias and promoting a culture of diversity

Implicit biases are not easy to address because they are unconscious in nature and can be difficult to recognize and accept. However, a culture of respect for others must be fostered to encourage the freedom to express diverse ideas that lead to greater creativity and innovation, and this is very important in a work context.  To counter unconscious bias in the workplace, the following should be considered;

Inform and educate employees about the types of unconscious bias and negative consequences that can arise from allowing such behavior to become normal;

Employees should monitor each other for their own unconscious biases and reconsider comments or observations about cultural or gender stereotypes;

Revisit the rationale behind the initial decision to determine whether all facts have been considered or whether biases are the driving factor in concealment;

Deliberate in the decision-making process to reduce the possibility of making a quick decision; And

-Establish a diversity and inclusion committee to establish and maintain operations and enforce cultural behaviors consistent with the company's diversity goals.

Lassana Harris, a neuroscientist who studies bias and social learning at University College London (UCL), said the notion of unconscious bias is not an excuse that excuses people from discriminatory behaviour, but that “if you are aware of these biases, you can employ your intelligence and all your necessary skills to see that it is wrong to think this way".

Preventing unconscious bias in the workplace is critical and should not be overlooked, as it can lead to unfair and inaccurate judgments, talents overlooked, or at worst discrimination.