How can you address unconscious bias in your employee orientation?

Biases may influence our decision making, possibly giving rise to favouritism or discrimination at the workplace, such as during hiring process or even while promoting an individual. Addressing biases during induction programs is a step towards creating an inclusive culture and welcoming new joiners to be part of it !

Personally I think it would be egregious to think that without proactive action we can address unconscious bias. The only way to overcome this is educating each other and to accept that understanding is different to agreeing, but both are massively important and positive. There are so many factors that this will exist forever, however, legislation does try to mitigate the negative impact from a compensatory approach. But wouldn’t it be great if we saw individuals as individuals and not any kind of difference to ourselves.

Unconscious bias in India, as in any other society, pertains to the subconscious prejudices we hold based on factors like caste, religion, gender, and more. It matters greatly because it perpetuates inequality and discrimination in various aspects of Indian life, from education to employment and social interactions. Acknowledging and addressing these biases is crucial for promoting a more inclusive and equitable society where everyone has an equal chance to thrive and contribute their best.

Like the name says, this bias is something that is inherent and invisible. However, one needs to be really careful to avoid this bias to foster better communication,team building and have a clear perspective at work. Some steps that we could do : 1. Never judge people soon 2. Go by work credentials rather than a person's opinion/perspective 3. Have an open mind 4. Be willing to accept and correct in case there's an unconscious bias.

Within the context of onboarding, unconscious bias can also impact your ideas around what information people know or should know. This can lead to excluding important insights that could positively influence one’s ability to understand company culture, norms, expected behaviors and even language. Because of this, it’s critically important to build robust orientation programs that provide deep insight into the nuances of your company culture and vision to ensure everyone is adequately set up for success regardless of their level of previous exposure to the company or team.

Identifying unconscious bias involves alot of introspection and selfawareness. The Implicit Association Test (IAT) could help to identify your implicit biases by assessing such through looking at the speed of associations between concepts. Another approach is the Stereotype Content Model, which categorizes biases based on warmth and competence perceptions. Self-reflection, feedback from your peers, and mindfulness techniques can also help identifying these. Recognizing personal biases requires an ongoing commitment to self-awareness and a willingness to challenge your ingrained assumptions

Indeed, recognizing and addressing unconscious bias is a crucial aspect of personal and collective growth. It's essential to embrace the idea that acknowledging bias doesn't make someone inherently bad, but rather provides an opportunity for growth and understanding. Engaging in self-reflection, seeking feedback, and actively educating oneself about diverse perspectives are powerful tools in cultivating awareness and fostering positive change. By taking intentional steps to challenge and broaden one's mindset, individuals can contribute to creating more inclusive environments.

I think a really useful way to identify one’s own biases involves not only a commitment to always asking oneself the tough questions to persistently self-examine, but to also centre our introspection around the people impacted. I ask myself: - What assumptions am I making about different stakeholder groups who will experience the consequences of my decision? - What decision would someone with different identities from me make? - If I was someone about to be impacted by my decision, what would I want the decision-maker to know about my situation beforehand?

To work well with people from different cultures, first acknowledge your own hidden biases. Then, learn about different cultures and their communication styles, decision-making processes, and worldviews. Also, be mindful of your own actions and words around people from different backgrounds, and ask questions instead of making assumptions. Be open to feedback from colleagues to see how you're doing and constantly strive to improve your cultural understanding.

There are many tools that help us recognize unconscious biases, such as the ladder of inference. Try working backward from the actions we took, the conclusions we drew, the assumptions we made, and the information we selected. Sharing this with others can help us understand our own thought processes. However, aside from this, I use a fundamental approach. When I express my views, I invite people to share their perspectives. Sometimes I might find myself in a heated debate, and that's a good sign that I have opened up a very strong proposition. Many assumptions lie there, and it's likely that some unconscious biases can be identified.

This is rather perplexing. If you have an unconscious bias, that means you're not aware of it. How can you fix a problem if you're not aware it exists?

It's important to take the time to learn about different cultures, opinions and perspectives. Instead of jumping straight into offering solutions or sharing your own thoughts, try taking a moment to pause and reflect before responding. It's also crucial to give others the opportunity to share their views and be heard. Ask clarifying questions and try to reduce assumptions as much as possible. Lastly, remember that everyone has their own unique beliefs and value systems. Be open-minded and patient when interacting with others, and you'll find that it leads to more meaningful and respectful conversations.

Ask trusted colleagues and friends to hold you accountable, too. If they spot you being biased or not considering all the salient facts, ask them to pick you up on it.

Unconscious bias is a state of mind that has allowed an individual to naturally create bias tendencies formed through stigmas and stereotyping. We in L&D should be bringing attention to the fact that this exists and has been perpetuated by outside circumstances. Raising awareness that this exists and showing our audiences that it can addressed is a great place for L&D to begin and build upon. Coffee isn’t bad just because someone else thinks it is, football isn’t boring just because your group of friends said so, and the same goes with cultures. Expand your mind, be open to learning and have learning leaders drive this to enable people to address these stigmas.

Every individual have their own thinking/opinion. but one should always be very careful while narrating their feelings to anyone. Always keep empathy and mindfulness.

Feedback is your friend. The more voices you listen to, the closer you are to knowing what biases are hidden in your orientation. Look for feedback around what could be better as well as what is working well. The other practice that I have found useful is to document (anonymously) suggestions and improvements on each iteration and then go back to the list when working on future projects and iterations to ensure you're not inadvertently rolling back improvements to tackle unconscious bias.

What I would also suggest is to introduce unconscious bias even before the employee orientation. During the recruitment process it could be a standard question for candidates to ask them what they understand by unconscious bias or ask them to share an example. This way you can get a sense of their understanding or familiarity with the subject and to give them the opportunity to reflect about it. Some candidates might feel the question has nothing to do with the job but bias is everywhere. If you would like to address unconscious bias awareness as part of your culture, probably not the best fit someone who is against or resistant to have this type of conversations at that initial stage.

Create opportunities for new hires to interact with individuals who bring diverse perspectives. This could involve connecting them with mentors, peers, or leaders from various backgrounds. Encourage open conversations and the sharing of personal stories to deepen understanding. Ensure that your orientation materials and presentations use inclusive language and imagery. Avoid reinforcing stereotypes and biases unintentionally through the language or examples you choose.

Unconscious bias is a tricky player influenced by our backgrounds, experiences, and the world around us. At my company, we're turning bias-busting into a fun and collaborative onboarding experience. During orientation, we're recognizing and tackling biases together to create an inclusive vibe. From affinity bias to the halo effect, we're going on a bias safari, discovering quirks in our decision-making. Picture a hiring scenario with a twist. We'll throw in some biases to spice things up. Be the superhero who spots and corrects bias in action. It's about how biases sneak into perception, communication, and decision-making. Together, we're creating a workplace where everyone's uniqueness is woven into the fabric of our culture.

Addressing Unconscious Bias during orientation must come for a core company mission to BE diverse and inclusive of all employees. To not just manage diversity quotas for the sake of appearing racially diverse, but rather, ethically understanding sociology in how employees navigate life at work and outside of work. I would suggest adding to the orientation: cultural non-verbals, unpacking language/dialects, and sharing awareness highlights for various groups (I.e. persons with varying abilities in the workplace. That is RESILIENT. Persons in the workplace with English being their 2nd language. That is RESILIENT. Pregnant persons. That is RESILIENT.). Sharing the amazing positives of groups will help to dismantle unconscious bias.

Evaluating and improving employee orientation on unconscious bias is a crucial step towards creating an inclusive and diverse workplace. Here's how we can incorporate management strategies to support eradicate unconscious bias to an extent. 1. Training and Education 2. Policy Review 3. Accountability and Measurement 4. Employee Resource Groups 5. Continuous Learning Creating an inclusive workplace is an ongoing process. It requires commitment, open communication, and a willingness to challenge and change ingrained biases.

Methods to assess and enhance employee orientation towards unconscious bias include utilising anonymous feedback through a structured survey, as well as conducting a post-onboarding check-in with new employees within the first 60/90 days. In addition to above methods, the effectiveness of an employee orientation can be assessed by measuring early attrition rate and exit interview feedback.

Evaluate and improve employee orientation on unconscious bias by soliciting feedback from participants, measuring awareness levels, and assessing the impact on workplace behaviors. Incorporate interactive elements, case studies, and real-world scenarios to enhance engagement and understanding. Continuously update content based on emerging research and diversity initiatives. Implementing regular assessments and seeking input from employees ensures ongoing relevance and effectiveness in addressing unconscious bias in the workplace.

Regular evaluation and improvement are definitely key to making sure that our orientation program is impactful and resonates with our new hires. We will take into consideration the various tools and methods you mentioned, such as surveys, interviews, focus groups, observations, and assessments, to measure learning outcomes and gather feedback. Tracking and analyzing new hires' performance, behavior, and engagement will also be important in understanding how they apply their learning to their work. Additionally, soliciting and incorporating suggestions from new hires, orientation facilitators, and DEI experts will help us continuously update and improve our orientation program. Thank you for your valuable input.

Two questions for new employees on their probation review: 1. How valued do you feel here, as a person and not just as an employee? 2. How can we improve your sense of being valued as an individual?

Embed diverse scenarios in training, conduct interactive bias workshops, share relevant resources, integrate inclusive language in policies, and foster open discussions for addressing concerns.

Realising our own unconscious bias isn’t always easy. We need to realise and understand if everyone within our circle or team is getting a positive approach from you. At times, unintentional actions do happen which result in a negative impression. For that what best we could do is, hold regular honest friendly conversations and figure out if your circle or team has the right impression going about you in their head.

Serious Fun! Activities for countering unconscious bias in employee orientation, from various sources and personal experiences: Inside Out Icebreaker: Emoji Emotions A lively icebreaker exploring how emotions shape perceptions and biases, setting a positive tone for orientation. Grow Model Workshop: Personal Biases Garden Engaging in a creative exercise, visually representing biases as plants, emphasizing the need to nurture diversity. Energizing Storytelling: Bias Busters Chronicles Sharing real-life stories in an engaging format to emotionally connect new hires with the topic, with an interactive game element for excitement. These activities balance creativity, and engagement ensuring an impactful employee orientation.

Leadership is not about you, but about how you can influence those around you to get the job done in a respectfull and friendly way

O processo de Recrutamento e Sele??o é o primeiro contato do funcionário com a organiza??o, e, já ali podemos evitar o viés inconsciente ao inserirmos elementos de controles como um roteiro de quest?es e ainda pedir que outros participem com você nesse processo de R&S. Você sentirá a necessidade de aten??o dobrada e o permitirá ficar mais presente!