Bias, whether conscious or unconscious, can subtly influence our decisions and interactions, often leading to unintended discriminatory outcomes. In the workplace, bias can affect hiring, promotions, performance evaluations, and overall team dynamics. But one of the hallmarks of a skilled leader is the ability to make each person feel like a valued and significant part of the team – which is why it’s so important to understand where bias creeps in and how it can impact workplace decisions.
Understanding Bias
Bias is a preconceived opinion or inclination towards or against something or someone, often based on stereotypes or generalizations. It can be positive or negative, but regardless, it often results in making decisions about people based on their belonging to a particular group or identity, instead of their individual qualities.
Implicit vs. Explicit Bias
Explicit Bias: These are conscious beliefs and attitudes that we are aware of and can readily express. For example, someone who openly believes that Gen Z is less competent than Baby Boomers is exhibiting explicit bias.
Implicit Bias: These are unconscious associations and attitudes that influence our behavior and decision-making without our conscious awareness. We may not even realize we hold these biases, but they can significantly impact how we interact with and perceive others. For example, favoring a job candidate who graduated from your alma mater, even if their work history isn’t as impressive as other candidates, could be a sign of implicit bias.
Examine Your Own Bias
Warm-up Round:
Some of our most pervasive biases involve gender. When reading the list of terms below, do you immediately associate them with a particular gender?
- Emotional
- Hardworking
- Dominant
- Empathetic
- Nurturing
- Patient
- Decisive
- Nurse
- CEO
- Homemaker
- Breadwinner
- Single parent
Reflection: Bias in Your Workplace
Use the following questions to reflect on how your biases might influence work-related decisions.
Hiring:
- Do you find yourself favoring candidates with similar backgrounds or experiences to your own?
- Are you more likely to overlook minor flaws in the resumes of candidates from certain groups?
- Do you associate specific roles or job titles with certain genders or ethnicities?
Performance Evaluations:
- Do you give certain members of your team a “pass” for missed performance? Do you judge others more harshly for the same behavior?
- Do you make assumptions about a team member’s commitment based on their demographics?
- Are you more likely to give constructive feedback to employees from certain groups and praise to others?
Promotions:
- Does the way a colleague looks impact your assessment of their leadership skills?
- Are you more likely to mentor or give opportunities to employees from certain groups?
Team Dynamics:
- Do you interrupt or talk over certain colleagues more often than others?
- Do you pay more attention to what certain colleagues say based on their demographics?
- Are you more likely to attribute assertive behavior as positive in some colleagues and negative in others?
Why Recognizing Bias Matters
Recognizing and addressing bias is an ongoing process that requires a commitment to self-reflection and education. Remember that the end goal is creating a workplace culture that values each member of your team as an individual.Â