Conscious and unconscious bias in the workplace

While unintentional, it can play a large part when it comes to the workplace, whether that be hiring, promotions, salary reviews etc.

It’s an act of making a decision about something or someone based on personal feelings, but is automatic and not at all intentional. Psychologist Daniel Kahneman talks about the two systems of the brain in his book “Thinking, Fast and Slow”; one system is automatic or natural, and the other requires thought and effort, but they work together.

If his research was applied to the hiring process and workplace in general, it explains how unconscious bias is something that most people aren’t aware of in themselves, as well as how attempts to reduce it require more thought and effort.

Types of Bias
There are several types of unconscious bias that can play a part in workplaces. Affinity bias, for example, would see a hiring manager look to hire someone who is quite similar to themselves. Recency bias would mean that a manager might only consider, or put more importance on, recent actions or performance, rather than historic ones. Conformity bias would mean that a hiring manager conforms to the opinions of others on the hiring panel, whereas Confirmation bias is making an assumption, or pre-empting, an outcome for a candidate based on previous personal experience rather than the facts in front of them.

Personal Thoughts
As a woman, I’ve always subconsciously believed that I always needed to be more. More perfect, more experienced, more this, more that. Reshma Saujani (Founder of Girls Who Code) said it perfectly in a TED Talk in 2016, that girls are taught to be perfect or sweet, and boys are taught to take risks and be brave. It’s all unconscious, but it goes to show that we can be biased against ourselves too!

As someone who has worked in recruitment, and am now People Operations within recruitment, I’m very aware that bias comes into play with everything.

Covid, Remote Working and the Future
Throughout Covid, people who were able to work from home had to work from home. This was new for a lot of companies who were used to the standard five days in the office, but we adapted. Some people even found that they were more productive working from home (I wasn’t one of them initially, but since we’re back to being allowed out of our houses I’m actually quite productive at home!)

In recent months, we’ve seen a number of companies push for a full return to the office. There are many reasons that it’s good to be together in an office, absolutely. Face time with colleagues makes a difference. It’s good to be able to collaborate in person, and build relationships, but we have seen that remote working can certainly be as effective. It’s possible that bias is coming into play here - You work better in the office, therefore everyone else also works better in the office. Right?

Actually, no. It turns out that being flexible where possible and being hybrid/ open to remote is what works best, because it allows people to work from where they’re most productive or what’s logistically realistic. It’s really the best of both Worlds!

Bias shows up everywhere, whether conscious or unconscious.

What Can we Do?
So what can we do about it?

Well, when it comes to hiring, it’s about understanding that one size doesn’t fit all.
None of us are the same, so trying to hire a team of people who fit an exact mould that’s (most likely) based on our own traits isn’t going to work very well. Maybe some light process changes need to be considered, to mitigate as much unconscious bias as possible. Maybe some training to help others be simply aware of their own bias.

When it comes to the working environment, being flexible will always win. Everyone needs a job, but everyone deserves a life outside of that. A workplace that understands the needs of its employees, and supports them, will ultimately have the best people on their team who will be dedicated. Respect goes both ways!

This isn’t even getting into bias when it comes to equality, because you’d be reading a novel if I were to write about that (and I will write about it, but maybe in bite-sized chunks!), but simply to say that as things have started to get busier and busier, companies building out new teams, opportunities in AI ever increasing, and new businesses are starting to grow, it’s so important that we are all aware of biases - both conscious and unconscious. What you sow, you reap :)