Say bye to unconscious bias – here’s how to hire a diverse workforce

Let’s get one thing straight: we’re all biassed to some degree.

But don’t beat yourself up about it just yet. The truth is that it’s nearly impossible to avoid some form of unconscious bias. Especially, when you consider the mind’s been moulded by a mixture of our upbringings, experiences and everyday environments.

But are these types of bias so bad? The short answer is: yes and no.

Alarmingly, research from the Impact Group found that workers who reported experiencing workplace bias were 33% more likely to feel alienated and 34% more likely to withhold ideas. Consequently, up to 80% would not refer people to their employer.

And that’s if these individuals make it through the hiring process at all.

Countless research has revealed the negative part unconscious bias can play in the recruitment process – even before the interview stage. For example, one paper showed that even when resumes were identical, those with white-sounding names, e.g. John Smith, were 50% more likely to get a job interview than ethnic-sounding names like Jamal, Venkat or Xuan.

But when these biases are so unconscious or hidden, how can you confront them head-on?

Educate yourself (and then empathise)

Experts believe that there could be as many as 175 types of cognitive bias that affect everyday decision-making.

However, it’s commonly believed that there are eleven that often play a negative role in the recruitment process. These are:

1. Affinity Bias

Essentially, this is the tendency we have to gravitate towards people who share similar attributes to ourselves, e.g. gender, race or social ackground.

2. Confirmation Bias

This involves favouring information that confirms your previously existing beliefs, biases or assumptions. For example, hiring managers may recall a candidate’s extroverted demeanour over their other skills when deciding they’re already “perfect” for a sales role.

3. Conformity Bias

Similar to groupthink, this usually occurs when your views are swayed by the opinions of others.

4. Ageism

This is discriminating against someone based on their age. Alarmingly, 66% of older candidates have experienced this at one point or another and it affects more women than men.

5. Beauty Bias

Various research studies throughout the years have revealed the impact beauty bias has in the workplace. One study found that men who were deemed “less attractive” earn 9% less than the male average per hour, whilst women deemed “less attractive” earn 4% less than average.

6. Attribution Bias

This happens when we make assumptions about people based on their previous actions. For example, thinking someone can’t settle in a role because they’ve changed jobs frequently.

7. Gender Bias

Unfortunately, this is still a huge issue in the workplace. In fact, research suggests up to four in 10 female employees have experienced gender discrimination at work.

8. The Contrast Effect

This occurs when hirers compare candidates to each other, instead of assessing them on their own merits.

9. The Halo/Horns Effect

The Halo/Horns Effect is a tendency to put someone on a pedestal after learning something impressive about them or, alternatively, writing them off after hearing something unfavourable.

10. Weight Bias

This is simply judging someone by their size. Worryingly, stats show that over half (54%) of women living with obesity reported weight-based stigma in the workplace.

11. Name Bias

This is just a basic, discriminatory act that involves a negative judgement around a person’s name. Unfortunately, this is often due to how “foreign” the name sounds.

Now you know the theory. But how do you stop these unhelpful thoughts from creeping into your day-to-day?

Forget everything you (thought) you knew

Truly tackling unconscious bias starts with asking yourself some serious questions. OK, it might make you feel uneasy at first – but it’s the only way to move forward.

The good thing is, there are some handy tools out there that can help. Harvard University has an Implicit Associations Test (IAT) which is designed to help users uncover any unconscious biases they might have.

What’s more, Michigan State University has developed a virtual reality (VR) application called A Mile in My Shoes which is designed to help individuals recognise unconscious bias through different real-world situations.

And it’s when you’ve put yourself in someone else’s shoes that you start to properly scrutinise your own belief system.

Too busy firefighting and spinning your own plates? We get you.

But to ensure your organisation is benefiting from the most diverse workforce, this is one task that just can’t be relegated to the bottom of those to-dos.

And when it comes to unconscious bias, being aware that there’s a problem is the first step to pushing things forward. And whilst no one can get things right all of the time, recognising the deck is unfairly stacked against some is a great way to say to unconscious bias and hello to a more diverse workforce.

PS. If you would like to read more about the topic, including the tips on what you can do to tackle each of the biases, check out the full blog post here.