BIAS in leadership

BIAS in leadership

How to deal with a biased boss?

Over 60% of employees believe their workplace is biased. Do you?

When leaders are biased, they are more likely to favor certain groups of people over others.

True story.

A junior manager in her twenties. She was extremely capable, going the extra mile to meet KPIs and managing her team like clockwork.

There was an opportunity for an educational trip to our headquarters and two managers had to be chosen. We all knew this was the first step for a promotion. She was my pick.

Why?

The other candidates were doing a good job but she was a go-get. She delivered, consistently.

When I put her name forward, senior management while acknowledging her achievements had one single argument against her: she laughed at their jokes, she smiled too much; simply put: she was too nice.

I could hardly believe what I was hearing, probably because that wasn’t the real reason.

It didn’t end well.

After two years of seeing how less capable managers were promoted, she left the company [good for her!] and built a career where her hard work was valued and rewarded.

A disgraceful loss of talent if you ask me.

Have you seen this happening too?

When BIAS is king

Bias is not good for business.

What are some of the consequences of bias in the workplace?

????Decreased productivity and higher turnover rates:

Employees who feel they are being treated unfairly, are less likely to be satisfied and engaged at work. They may eventually leave.

This comes at a very high cost.

Did you know that it can cost up to 4 times the departing employee’s salary to hire a replacement?

And that is without counting the extra workload on the team until a new person is found and learns for months.

????Workplaces lacking in diversity and inclusion: ?

Biased leaders may be less likely to hire and promote employees from diverse backgrounds.

This also comes at a high cost.

Did you know?

According to McKinsey, D&I Global Market Report:

??Diverse companies earn 250% higher cash flow per employee.

??Inclusive teams are over 35% more productive.

??Diverse teams make better decisions 87% of the time.

BIAS in the workplace is the number one enemy of business success ??????

?

How can BIAS be reduced?

Companies should take a proactive approach and review processes to ensure biases are not affecting company culture.?

Of special importance is implementing fair and objective hiring and promotion practices.

Data provided by HR technology plays a pivotal role in how companies create inclusive workplaces, transforming them from bias-full to bias-free ??????

When promotions are based on unbiased data and not on personal preferences the whole team is more likely to back that decision, boosting team morale.

Promoting from within the organization saves time and money compared to hiring externally because recruiting and onboarding external candidates is costly.

Internal promotions can also improve employee retention and motivation. Data shows that employees are more likely to stay with an organization that offers opportunities for career growth ??????

The goal is to make it more difficult to make decisions based on personal biases that even if unconscious, have negative consequences.

If you are a manager, have you tried HR technology to support your decisions? It is not only for HR but also for managers to use.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we got rid of bias?

It may seem like an impossible dream.

But again, it seems impossible until it’s done.

One workplace at a time.

??????

Did you know?

I am the founder and CEO of an HR tech startup: WhomLab ??

We help medium and large companies reduce their workforce costs while making employees happier.

If you are curious to know how HR tech can help you make the most of your teams, send me a message, and let's chat!