How Confirmation Bias gets in the way of Equity (and why we should care about that)

One of the biggest obstacles to Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) are our individual filters.? Even when we want to see others differently – whether it’s because we genuinely believe that everyone deserves a chance or that diverse experiences lead to better outcomes – it’s difficult to overcome our programming.

One way to overcome unconscious bias is to make it conscious.? This is the reason we’re often talking to clients about the obstacles that get in the way of their EDI ambitions, such as Confirmation Bias.

Confirmation Bias is?defined as?the tendency to process information by looking for, or interpreting, information that is consistent with [our] existing beliefs. In other words, we are always looking for information that confirms what we believe (or want to believe).

In the workplace, this bias can significantly hinder EDI efforts by perpetuating unequal treatment, reinforcing stereotypes, and limiting opportunities for those from underrepresented backgrounds.

Below I set out three examples of how confirmation bias can set back the career of individuals, despite best efforts.

Examples of Confirmation Bias in the workplace

1. Hiring and Recruitment

The recruitment and hiring process is a mine field for underrepresented groups.? At each step of the way they are likely to be disadvantaged due to confirmation bias, here’s how:

Screening Resumes: Everything from what universities are believed to be ‘good’ and ‘less good’ to the spelling and sound of people’s names (catering to the belief that they may not be the right ‘fit’ or have the right experience) becomes an initial hurdle to overcome.? A person who is inclined to think this way will subconsciously look for evidence on a CV that confirm this belief and find a reason to disqualify a candidate that otherwise would have had a good opportunity to make it through.? To help overcome this and similar biases, many organisations have started using?blind hiring?tools.? Do they work?? Yes, for certain types of work.? A better tool might be to identify the added value of Diversity for a particular job or team, and include this as part of the criteria for the search.

Interviews: Our preconceived notions of what it means to be a leader, for example, will often disadvantage certain candidates.? If we think that a leader has to be assertive, forthright and commanding, a person of diminutive stature for instance will find it difficult to live up to that belief and the interviewer might subconsciously be looking for evidence of lack of their leadership ability by asking questions the answers to which they would hope confirms their ingrained suspicion.?? Similarly, people with certain accents or who aren’t as eloquent may be believed to be less intelligent, prompting the interviewer to search for evidence that supports this stereotype.

Discounting unconventional experience: When looking for experience, a person’s untraditional career progression may fall foul of the expectation of a robust amount of experience accumulated on a more traditional (or linear) career path.? ?Women are often held back as their? involvement in a variety of life and work scenarios is discounted as lack of experience.? Someone who believes that only work-related upward trajectory suitably prepares one for career progression may overlook the benefit of a fresh perspective or a wealth of other experience that is just as valuable and discount their contribution to the team.

2. Performance Reviews and Evaluations

Confirmation bias can also shape how performance is perceived and evaluated. Supervisors may unknowingly give more favourable evaluations to employees who align with their own demographic group or biases.? Here are a couple of examples of how this might manifest itself:

Mistakes: Negative perceptions tend to attach to people from an underrepresented background and linger longer.? If, for example, a manager has had past negative interactions with an employee from an ethnic minority group, they might focus on their mistakes or miscommunications during the review period that aligns with their biased view of that employee. On the other hand, if the employee has had consistent positive performance but the manager has a confirmation bias that the employee is “underperforming,” the manager might overlook the employee’s strengths or accomplishments.

Expectations: In this example, a manager might believe that women are naturally more collaborative and nurturing. During the annual review, therefore, if a female employee demonstrates assertiveness or challenges the status quo, the manager may label her as “too aggressive” or “not a team player,” even if her performance and ideas are strong. On the other hand, they might praise a male employee for similar assertiveness, interpreting it as “leadership potential.”

3. Overlooking Contributions and Ideas

Confirmation bias can also result in dismissing ideas or contributions from underrepresented employees, particularly if those ideas challenge the status quo or don’t fit the manager’s worldview.

Here’s an example:? In team meetings, if a manager or team leader holds a bias against the ideas or perspectives of younger employees, they may dismiss their input for lack of experience or knowledge, without giving it proper consideration. ?Alternatively, if an idea is presented by someone who is more ‘seasoned’ that aligns with the manager’s worldview, it may be given more weight.

These are but a few examples of how confirmation bias disadvantages minorities in the workplace.? Not only does confirmation bias contribute to systemic barriers for underrepresented employees, by preventing them from reaching their full potential, it also disadvantages the company itself.? After all, the strongest asset of any company are its people – and if we’re not doing everything we can to ensure everyone can contribute with their very best thinking, we are leaving talent, resources and opportunities on the table.

Is that the best we can do for our businesses and their people?

This blog was first published on the Voice At The Table website ?

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