Unconscious bias is an issue in organizations. As we think about how many facets of making decisions in an organization that could be impacted -- such as recruiting, onboarding, mentoring, succession planning, rewards and recognition -- unconscious bias is something important to consider.
Unconscious bias impacts so many decisions because our brains can process about 40 pieces of information every second consciously -- but as many as 11 million pieces unconsciously. As a result, we make shortcuts in our minds to facilitate easier decision making. These shortcuts are often based on our history, background, what we have been exposed to in the past, etc.
An example of this is hiring in symphony orchestras. In the 1970s and 80s, orchestras realized that they were hiring mainly men. As a result, they implemented blind auditions, and the number of women hired into orchestras significantly increased.
Another example is how music can influence the type of wine people choose in a wine store. A 1999 study showed that when they played French music more people bought French wine, and when German music was played more German wine was bought.
We unconsciously make decisions all of the time and don’t even realize it. So, what are common ways that bias shows up especially in organizations?
• Affinity Bias: a bias towards those who are similar to me. This could mean similar in many different ways, such as race, gender, socioeconomic background, education level, etc. We tend to gravitate towards those who are like us.
• Confirmation Bias: a bias that has the tendency to find information, input or data that supports our preconceived notions.
• Labeling Bias: making opinions based on how people look, dress or show up externally.
• Selective Attention Bias: paying attention to things, ideas and input from people who we tend to gravitate towards.
All of these biases can create environments that are not very diverse or inclusive. They can also impact the creativity, innovation, morale, engagement, turnover and even the bottom line of an organization. As stated in McKinsey’s research on the topic, diversity impacts the financial returns of a company as well as so many of the human resource factors that make organizations thrive.
So what can leaders and organizations do about unconscious bias in order to allow the organization to be open to different backgrounds, mindsets and ways of being in the world?
• Become aware of unconscious bias in general and -- what your own may be, specifically.
The vast majority of our thought processes are unconscious and, therefore, everyone has unconscious biases. Once you realize that, the ways that you can become aware of them include getting feedback from those around you on how you may be showing up and/or making decisions, practicing mindfulness as a tool to notice how you are perceiving things without judgment and taking an Implicit Association Test to get a sense of how you may be perceiving things.
• Create processes to minimize bias in hiring, mentoring, succession planning, etc.
Formulate panels of different kinds of people to interview as new potential hires, track and measure the types of people hired, promoted, etc., and use the data to make adjustments if biases may be getting in the way.
• Develop structures to enhance the minimization of bias.
This could include introducing training so that employees become aware of how bias can show up and what to do about it, just as Starbucks did after it had an issue in one of its stores, and creating cross-cutting groups that include all different types of people to monitor and track the situation and determine best possible ways to move forward.
While unconscious bias can be an issue in organizations, it is certainly one that can be addressed. Through awareness, process and structures, leaders and organizations can enhance decision making and minimize the impact of unconscious bias.
