Unconscious Bias

Unconscious or implicit bias refers to subconsciously established connections between various traits and social categories such as race, gender, or disability, and judgments made without conscious knowledge. Automatic tendencies or preconceptions are a key factor in the lack of diversity in the workplace.

What can we do to combat unconscious bias?

Consider the following strategies to eliminate unconscious bias in the workplace:

• Employees must be educated on several forms of unconscious bias and the harmful implications of permitting such behavior to become normalized.
• Check for unconscious bias in each other and challenge statements or remarks about cultural or gender stereotypes.
• Examine the reasoning behind an original choice to see if all facts were taken into account or if biases had crept in.
• Slow down your decision-making process to decrease the chances of making a quick conclusion.