Everyone will have experienced an unconscious bias at one point in time.
These are assumptions which are beyond our control. But what happens when these thoughts affect our physical decisions?
An unconscious bias can mean your workplace policies end up being discriminatory.
All employees are protected against discrimination under Irish employment law. If you neglect their legal rights, you could face tribunal claims, compensation fees, and business damages.
In this guide, we will look at what unconscious bias is, examples of different biases, and the best ways to eliminate it from your workplace.
What is unconscious bias?
Unconscious bias (or implicit bias) refers to negative thoughts we have outside of our awareness or control.
These implicit biases can come from stereotypes or misinformation. Negative thoughts result in unfair treatment–which is not acceptable in the workplace.
Unconscious biases come from mental shortcuts, they happen quickly and naturally. Our brain makes a prejudiced decision which helps us distinguish between a good or bad situation.
Why should you recognise unconscious bias in the workplace?
Unconscious biases lead to numerous business risks; that’s why you need to spot the signs. Here are reasons why you should recognise unconscious bias in the workplace:
Because it leads to discrimination
When unbiased thoughts transition into unbiased actions, it’s classed as discrimination, under Irish law.
But workplace discrimination happens when a person thinks or has conscious awareness of biased decision-making. It doesn’t have to be intentional to be discriminatory.
Because it leads to unfair advantages
Unconscious biases influence unfair advantages for select employees. And everyone who faces bias suffers from a negative impact during work.
In the end, engagement and motivation become affected. And this leads to broken relations and business damages.
Because it leads to homogenous cultures
An unconscious bias can make you hire candidates from specific backgrounds or certain groups. This results in homogenous cultures (which isn’t a positive thing).
Homogenous cultures are places where everyone has the same beliefs and ideologies. This type of social group does more harm than good, as they can stunt business growth and success.
All employers must promote diversity and inclusion within their business. This is done by creating a healthy, safe, and productive workplace.
That is why having inclusion and diversity goals is so important. A diverse team brings new talent, perspectives, and innovation–all of which lead to business success.
What are the different types of unconscious bias?
There are so many types of unconscious biases found in the workplace.
Some relate to how personal opinions are viewed, like confirmation bias. Others may be directly related to a person’s physical appearance, like gender bias. We have covered:
- Affinity bias.
- Age bias.
- Anchor bias.
- Attribution bias.
- Authority bias.
- Beauty bias.
- Confirmation bias.
- Conformity bias.
- Gender bias.
- Height bias.
- Name bias.
- Overconfidence bias.
Here are definitions of different types of unconscious biases found in the workplace:
Affinity bias
This is when you are drawn to people who share similar interests to you, like age or class. Sometimes, it’s also known as similarity bias. You can avoid affinity bias by promoting equality and diversity within all areas of your business–especially the hiring process.
Age bias
This is when you treat someone differently because of their age. It’s also known as age discrimination. You can avoid age bias by ensuring all employees regardless of age, interact and create positive relationships.
Anchor bias
This is when you become fixated on an idea or point of view, and you cannot move away from it. You can avoid anchor bias by not relying on singular information or individuals without considering others. These types of biases should not be set as your final decision.
Attribution bias
This is when you try to understand why someone behaves in a particular way. You might make assumptions about them because of their appearance or characteristics. You can avoid attribution bias by keeping a neutral attitude towards everyone. And verify equal treatment through reviews and feedback meetings.
Authority bias
This is when you are expected to follow superiors without question–even if the leadership is questionable. You can avoid authority bias by promoting open communication. When everyone is given the opportunity to speak, they’re more likely to share ideas and opinions.
Beauty bias
This is when you judge someone based on how attracted you are to them, ignoring competency or life experiences. This is not tied to one gender, as both female and male candidates can experience it. You can avoid beauty bias by solely judging candidates based on their talents and achievements.
Confirmation bias
This is when you verify your ideas before a situation occurs. People might follow their opinion instead of acknowledging the truth. You can avoid confirmation bias by keeping an open floor for everyone’s ideas and opinions.
Conformity bias
This is similar to peer pressure which you might experience from those around you. Here, people follow a decision influenced by others, rather than follow their own opinions. You can avoid conformity bias by highlighting peer pressure as bullying. State this type of conduct is unlawful and results in serious disciplinary consequences.
Gender bias
This is when one gender is treated differently to another, which is illegal in Ireland. This is also known as gender discrimination. You can avoid gender bias by keeping employment opportunities open to all. And determine whether any roles would suffer if faced with a ‘gender-swap’.
Height bias
This is when you treat someone differently because of their height. Anyone outside of societal norms for heights (like short or tall people) becomes affected. You can avoid height bias by eliminating physical factors (like height, weight, or gender identity) as a deciding factor.
Name bias
This is when you have prejudicial thoughts about a person based on their name. You can avoid name bias by not referring to candidate names during recruitment stages. This keeps all hiring decisions relevant to important factors, like qualifications and critical skills.
Overconfidence bias
This is when you hold more confidence in your abilities or skills than you actually have. In this case, you become disappointed as workplace expectations are often missed.
You can avoid overconfidence bias by ensuring equal opportunities for all. And keep away from the personas and characteristics of overconfident people.
Other biases
The halo effect and the horns effect are two more examples of unconscious bias. And they are quite contrasting in nature.
The halo effect is when you place someone on a higher pedestal after learning something impressive about them. Like if you learnt they studied at an elite school or worked at a top-ranking company.
You can avoid these biases by reviewing candidates as a whole package. And don’t become fixated on that one gleaming note.
The horns effect is when you negatively perceive a person based on learning something disagreeable about them. You can avoid these biases by being aware of your first thoughts or ‘gut-instincts’ during initial interactions.
Example of unconscious biases in the workplace
Here are some examples of unconscious bias in the workplace:
Name bias
A hiring team receive two job applications. The names of the applicants are John Smith and Mohammed Ali. The team make prejudgment on Mohammed Ali, as they prejudge his race and religion. In the end, they are drawn toward John Smith and offer him an interview.
Conformity bias
A group of employees pressure a colleague to drink alcohol onsite. They argue that it’s Friday and work hours are all most over. The employee is fully aware of the business’s ‘no-drinking on site’ policy. But he becomes swayed by his peers and joins in.
Affinity bias
A manager conducts an interview process with three candidates. One candidate mentions they studied at a certain university, which happens to be the same as the manager.
Both continue to talk about their experiences, and it’s obvious this candidate benefits from the culture fit. The bias occurs when the other job applicants become completely isolated during the interview.
How to eliminate unconscious bias in the workplace
Unconscious biases tend to affect many areas like recruitment, promotion, and development.
If you don’t eliminate them, they can affect the entire business. Here are steps on how to eliminate and avoid unconscious bias in the workplace:
Your business will champion diverse staff and a diverse workplace which is open and accepting for all.
All employers and hiring managers must be aware of unconscious biases during work. One of the best methods to action this, is through unconscious bias training.
Through the training, you can understand how biases happen, what the law says them, and how you can avoid decision-making biases.
The benefits of introducing unconscious bias training are:
- Making better decisions.
- Reducing costs during onboarding.
- Increasing employee turnover.
- Increasing engagement and loyalty.
- Promoting workplace equality and diversity.
If you provide resources and rules like these, you can instantly reduce biased treatment during work.
Get expert advice on managing unconscious biases with Peninsula
Under Irish employment law, you must provide a healthy and safe workplace–free from unfair treatment.
By promoting equality and inclusion, your employees will feel security, comfort, and respect.
Peninsula offers expert advice on avoiding unconscious bias in the workplace. Our clients get access to 24-hour HR advice, where specialists can help you protect your staff and business simultaneously.
Get in touch today, or use our callback form to arrange a more convenient time. Call us on 0800 028 2420
