What is Unconscious Bias, Anyway?
Understanding Unconscious Bias (UCB)
Many organizations are recognizing that the systems and policies they have put in place to diversify their workforces are not enough. Despite their best efforts, barriers still exist that prevent them from acquiring, keeping, and developing a workforce with the diversity they need and want. One of the primary obstacles is Unconscious Bias (UCB).
UCB is in operation whenever we are making decisions—about hiring, promoting, evaluating—impacting everything we do without our conscious awareness. It inclines us to feel more comfortable with and gravitate toward people who are like ourselves (this particular type is known as “affinity bias”). UCB can interfere with the productivity of teams, influence retention and turnover rates, and even skew criteria when making major organizational policy decisions.
Long-standing conscious and unconscious biases about what constitutes “a good leader” contribute to the still-wide disparity in numbers between males and females heading major organizations, and between whites and people of color.
For example:
There are only 23 female CEOs in the S&P 500 and only 46 in the S&P 1000.
People of Color make up less than 20% of the current U.S. House of Representatives and less than 6% of the U.S. Senate.
Clearly, there is still much work to be done to advance women and People of Color into more influential positions.
What is UCB, and How is it Formed?
Let’s start with a definition of Unconscious Bias: it refers to the attitudes and beliefs we hold that are below our level of daily awareness. Most of these biases were acquired when we were quite young—too young for our developing brains to have had the capacity to analyze what we were experiencing.
The unquestioned acceptance that “This is How the World Works” is what psychologists call a schema, or mental framework, that organizes how we take in information, process experiences, and engage with others—all without our conscious awareness.
For example, when a child sees consistent representations of authority figures, professionals, or leaders as belonging to a particular race or gender, they subconsciously form associations that may not reflect reality. These early mental frameworks shape our schemas and influence how we react to situations and make decisions later in life.
How Does UCB Affect Us?
As our schemas develop, they influence attention and the absorption of new knowledge. People are more likely to notice things that fit into their schema, while re-interpreting contradictions to the schema as exceptions or distorting them to fit.
Psychologist and Professor Daniel Kahneman, winner of the 2002 Nobel Prize in Economics, refers to this as System 1 in his groundbreaking book Thinking, Fast and Slow.
System 1 (“Fast” thinking): This is our primary operating system, responsible for day-to-day behavior and decision-making. It’s automatic and relies heavily on schemas developed early in life.
System 2 (“Slow” thinking): This system is more deliberate and rational. It questions and analyzes decisions made by System 1, but it requires conscious effort and attention to operate effectively.
When we feel instant rapport with others, follow “gut instincts,” or decide someone is “just what a leader should be” based on superficial impressions, chances are we’re operating out of System 1, which is prone to biases.
How Can We Address UCB Effectively?
IBIS has developed a model called the FLEX model to help activate System 2 thinking and interrupt unconscious bias:
Focus Within: Self-awareness is the first step. Becoming aware of patterns in our behavior and noticing thoughts and feelings (both positive and negative) during interactions can reveal UCB. Questions to ask yourself:
“Why did I react that way?”
“I feel anxious when I give Chris feedback.”
“Do I keep selecting the same types of people for these roles?”
Learn About Others: Being open to others’ opinions, perceptions, and reactions helps recognize where personal beliefs and attitudes come from, and can facilitate change.
“I thought the candidate was being aggressive when they asked that question. How did you perceive them?”
Engage in Conversation: Willingness to connect with people unfamiliar or uncomfortable to us opens our minds to other ways of seeing and being.
“Can you help me understand why you felt that way?”
eXpand the Options: This step looks at systems, policies, practices, and procedures to see if UCB is impeding efforts towards building a more diverse and inclusive workplace.
“Do your job postings proactively invite diverse candidates?”
These steps, combined with ongoing training and alignment of organizational systems, can help reduce the impact of UCB and create a more inclusive environment.
Coming Up in Our Series on UCB:
How to mitigate UCB in recruitment and hiring.
Reducing UCB in work assignments, performance management, and career development.
Workplace Culture: reframing from “mitigating UCB” to “building an inclusive organization.”