Recognise & Overcome Your Unconscious Bias

Is unconscious bias affecting the way colleagues react to you in the workplace? Photograph: OJO Images Ltd/Alamy

Author: Kelly Long

Have you ever been in a meeting and realised that you are the only person being excluded from the conversation? Did it cross your mind that far from being because you don’t have anything to contribute, maybe it was because of something much more fundamental, such as your gender? I recently experienced this situation first hand – blending into the decor, for no other reason than I am a woman.

Could these people really be excluding me purely based on this, or had I missed something? Then I recalled what I had recently learned about the extent to which unconscious bias is prevalent in our everyday lives.

Unconscious bias describes situations where our background, personal experiences, societal stereotypes and cultural context can impact our decisions and actions without us realising. How many of us have unduly and unknowingly experienced or perpetrated the negative forces of unconscious bias?

In its most obvious of manifestation, unconscious bias is the essence of the gender equality debate. How many women have been passed over for promotion in favour of a man or been considered not dedicated to the job because they had to leave to collect their children from school? These unconscious biases can hide inside all of us, lurking under the surface, influencing our decisions and actions. It also affects more than just gender.

Research conducted by Jaluch this year revealed the extent to which we are unconsciously biased: 67% of the British public admits to feeling uncomfortable talking to a disabled person; gay and lesbian job seekers are 5% less likely to get an interview; and 80% of employers admit to making decisions based on regional accents. Unconscious bias doesn’t just negatively affect women – it can have a detrimental impact on any minority group.

Exposing our unconscious bias is extremely complex. For a start, we have to be open to the idea that we are biased, but then what does “unconscious bias” look like? Would you know it if you saw it? Would you know it if you had it? See if you can spot unconscious bias in action in this video by McKinsey & Company.

Once unconscious bias has been identified, there are practical steps you can take to address the issue.

Review your internal conversation

Are you basing your decisions on 30-second judgments or quantitative and qualitative information? Review every aspect of your personal story for unconscious bias. In the workplace, the first step might be to analyse who it is that you trust. Diversity consultant Scott Horton’s four-minute workshop explores who we trust, why we trust them and how this might influence who we choose to promote.

Don’t be exclusive

Giving your attention and time to those who look like you in terms of age, gender, race or academia reinforces unconscious bias.

Develop a core value system

This value system should focus on fair treatment and respect for others. A basic human right, but one that we can often forget or overlook in the heat and pressure of daily life.

Change your lens

Try using an unconscious bias lens when considering job promotions or how you interact in teams. We all are biased to some extent, but consciously becoming aware of it and taking action to address it will benefit us all. Don’t be that person excluding others in a meeting; recognise your unconscious actions and don’t let them hold you or others back.