Can Unconscious Bias Training improves Diversity?

Do you know that these kind of biased decisions are being made by us umpteen times in a day… these biases are called unconscious biases.

Unconscious biases are created and reinforced by our environments and experiences. Our mind is constantly processing information, oftentimes without our conscious awareness. When we are moving fast or lack all the data, our unconscious biases fill in the gaps, influencing everything from product decisions to our interactions with co-workers.

Some very typical play out of unconscious biases at the workplace:

·         Both male and female participants were more likely to hire the male applicant than the female applicant and were more likely to report that the male applicant had adequate experience in research, teaching, and service.

·         Participants were four times more likely to write comments of concern in the margins of their questionnaires for female tenure candidates than for male tenure candidates.

·         Female managers are likely to be rated as less likeable, more interpersonally hostile, less competent, and less desirable as bosses than were male managers

·         Letters of recommendations are likely to be shorter for women and would have comments like, in spite of being a lady/ intelligent young lady

The challenge is to train ourselves to become more aware of how our unconscious biases are impacting our decision making. This will happen only when we are willing to have honest conversations with each other. Only when we move towards these kind of work spaces, can the seeding for inclusive culture take place.