Do you have an unconscious bias? Almost certainly… but you don’t know it, because it’s, well, unconscious, and an unconscious bias impacts success. When you meet someone for the first time, you form an impression instantly. This impression is often not based on any factual information; it is the accumulation of personal experiences, news articles, water cooler jokes, television stereotypes, and books. It creates an immediate impression that may be favourable, negative, but rarely neutral.
Impact of Unconscious Bias
Your bias gets in the way of making objective decisions when you are interviewing people for jobs. It creates the ‘horns’ or ‘halo’ effect. You decide if you like them or not and then look for information to justify or support your already made-up mind.
Your unconscious bias could impact finding or developing ideal employees for your business. Have you formed an unconscious bias in your mind of how a future leader might look, act, etc.? It is often said that people like people like themselves, so are you – without realizing it – creating a picture of what ‘ideal’ might be based on your biases?
You should consider each candidate’s training, and experience in your industry. The size of your company; even its location may have some bearing. But if all things are equal, you should treat all applications with the same serious consideration. If you don’t, you could unconsciously dismiss someone who is more than capable of being a contributor or successor.
Unconscious bias may be subtle. You might shuffle a resume to the “C” pile, or overreact to a passing comment on a reference check.
Gender bias is a well-documented issue in workplaces. In one famous study, orchestras installed screens during auditions so judges could hear, but not see, performers. This increased the chance of a female musician making it past the first round by 50 per cent.
Are you looking for a high quality employee or leader for your company? You can’t afford to let an unconscious bias impact success. It could cloud your judgment and stand in the way of a perfectly good decision.
TAC provides objective, scientifically validated hiring and development assessments to help filter out people bias. Click on the Prevue link to learn more.