In today's diverse work environments, it is crucial to address the issue of unconscious bias. Unconscious bias refers to the attitudes and stereotypes that individuals hold towards certain groups, which can influence their actions and decision-making unconsciously. This bias can have a significant impact on employee morale, performance, diversity and inclusion efforts, as well as hiring and promotion processes. In order to foster a bias-free workplace, it is important to recognize and mitigate unconscious bias through self-awareness, tools and techniques, as well as implementing organizational policies and procedures.
The Roots of Unconscious Bias
Unconscious bias refers to the biases that we hold without even realizing it. These biases can affect our decisions and actions, often leading to unfair treatment or discriminatory behavior. In order to address and mitigate unconscious bias, it is crucial to first understand its roots and underlying factors. This post explores the meaning of unconscious bias, the various types of biases that exist, and the effects they can have in different contexts. Additionally, it delves into the factors that contribute to unconscious bias, including the influence of background and personal experience, societal and cultural conditioning, and the role of media and stereotypes. Furthermore, it examines the science behind unconscious bias, touching upon the workings of the human brain, implicit association tests (IAT), and the role of social psychology in shaping our biases. By gaining a deeper understanding of these topics, we can strive towards a more inclusive and equitable society.
Understanding Unconscious Bias: Definition, Causes, Effects, and How to Overcome
Unconscious bias is the automatic associations or attitudes that people hold about groups of people or individuals, often without awareness or intention. These biases can have a significant impact on decision-making, behavior, and interactions with others. In this post, we're going back to the foundational understanding of unconscious bias, the causes that contribute to its development, the effects it has on individuals and society, and strategies for overcoming it.
Unconscious bias is a natural phenomenon that affects everyone, but it can create negative consequences in various areas of life, such as the workplace, relationships, and social interactions. By understanding its definition, causes, and effects, individuals and organizations can take steps to reduce its impact and create more inclusive environments.
Case Study: Inclusive Hiring with Prysmian Group
Case Study: InfoSec Unconscious Bias Series
Infosec helps IT and security professionals advance their careers with skills development and certifications. The organization recently initiated a Women at InfoSec employee resource group and one of the group’s first recommendations was a company-wide bias training. We worked with the team to develop a 3-part series to provide a foundational bias understanding and tailored tools for interrupting bias for both individual contributors and managers.
Training for Mid-Level Managers to Mend the Broken Rung
The Broken Rung identifies the initial move from entry-level to manager as “the biggest obstacle women face on the path to senior leadership.” There are five suggestions to fix the broken rung in organizations that see this drop in representation of women moving up to managerial levels. All of these elements work together to interrupt bias in the hiring and promotion process, and it is clear how they can ensure that all diverse candidates are given the appropriate consideration for advancement.
The recommendation I want to focus on today is putting evaluators through bias training. While it is critical for organizations to focus on eliminating bias in all of their processes, it can be especially important for entry-level employees.
Case Study: Ohio Banker's League Women in Banking Conference
Gild Collective was invited to lead two breakout sessions during the Women in Banking Conference from the Ohio Banker’s League. We were so excited to share two critical topics with this audience—Mapping Career Strategy and Developing Solutions for Gender Issues.
We’re so glad we could participate in the Women in Banking Conference and look forward to the next one!
Case Study: Women's Leadership Conference Northeast Ohio
Gild Collective was invited to lead a breakout session at the 2019 Women’s Leadership Conference Northeast Ohio. The short session provided a high-level overview and understanding of unconscious bias in the workplace.
The event gathered over 700 women from across Northeast Ohio and drew the attention of news outlets covering the inspirational event.
The 2020 WLCNEO will take place on September 22, 2020 and tickets are available. We can’t wait to attend once again!
Case Study: AAR Unconscious Bias Training
In August, we returned to AAR to support the women’s initiative in hosting an unconscious bias training for the organization. During the session, participants at all levels of the organization gathered to have an open dialog about bias. We began with a focus on recognizing our own biases—even when they might surprise us—and recognizing the need to interrupt bias in the workplace to create more inclusive teams. The rest of the session introduced bias interrupters that participants can implement in their daily work to reduce the impact of bias. This awareness and new tools for addressing bias were put into practice the following week, when the initiative led interactive sessions with LeanIn.org's 50 Ways to Fight Bias cards as a guide for discussion.
We’re so glad we could work with AAR on setting the foundation for such an important topic.
Case Study: WillowWood
We partnered with WillowWood, an organization that designs and manufactures comfortable, functional prosthetics and orthotics, and their recently formed Women in Leadership initiative to present a workshop titled: Uncovering Unconscious Bias to Communicate Effectively. The event’s focus was on understanding unconscious bias and its impact on women in the workplace, and how to communicate effectively to overcome the barriers that bias builds for women progressing to leadership. We were thrilled to see the number of motivated and curious men who attended this training. \
Case Study: Women in Bio Webinar
This month we partnered with Women in Bio to deliver a webinar to its members on Uncovering Unconscious Bias. Women in Bio is an “organization of professional women from all career walks in the field of life sciences. We are all volunteers and we all share the goal of enabling and empowering women to reach the highest levels of leadership, and -- more importantly -- to fulfill their own career aspirations.”
Case Study: Healthcare Businesswomen's Association Signature Event
Case Study: Ingage Partners + Thrive Impact Sourcing Uncovering Unconscious Bias Workshop
We loved working with local companies and B-Corps Ingage Partners and Thrive Impact Sourcing to deliver an Uncovering Unconscious Bias workshop to employees of both sister companies. Together we set the foundation of understanding our biases and why it is important to grow our awareness of them. With small groups, participants worked through a variety of scenarios to identify "bias interrupters" they might use in common workplace situations—especially those related to hiring and performance reviews.