Unconscious Bias reference article for state employees

There exists a myriad of types of unconscious bias, and for our use, we will be referencing nine types of unconscious bias and processing where they may arise (these fictional situations have been exaggerated to showcase the negative impact bias can have within our work). The types of unconscious bias are:

1. Affinity Bias – We as people gravitate towards people who are similar to us, whether it is based on appearance, hobbies, beliefs, etc.
   • You are a supervisor of a team of five where you and one supervisee are both Black men who play tennis. Because of your bias, you give this individual higher performance ratings than everyone on the team, despite the fact that they all perform at the same level. You two just have a special connection and you like working with him.
2. Appearance Bias – We as people make snap judgements based around the visual cues of a person. This is often based on beauty, weight, height, etc. and the perceived values we assign to those identifiers.
   • You are conducting an interview for an accounting job. One of your candidates walks in and you perceive them to be overweight. Because of your bias, you give them a lower score for their interview and articulate that they just, “wouldn’t be a good fit for the team.”
3. Confirmation Bias – We as people have our own thoughts, beliefs, and values. When we come across information that goes against or challenges these thoughts, we are likely to discredit them and gravitate towards information that supports our thoughts, beliefs and values.
   • Your team is conducting market research for a learning software. When you checked the reviews for the service you really want, 80% of their clients reference horrible service, glitches, etc. Because of your bias, you find a small number of reviews that are positive, and you make your decision based on those alone.
4. Attribution Bias – We as people attribute actions and characteristics with value judgements, based on our previous experiences. When people around us do certain things, we pre-assign characteristics and values to that person, even if they are not true.
   • You are a director over a team, and one person has shown up late a number of times this month. You determine that they are lazy and not as dedicated as their peers, but if you had asked you would have found out that the city bus they take to work recently got rerouted because of construction. Because of your bias, you are more likely to give this person a job action and you are less likely to consider them for an upcoming promotion.
5. Gender Bias – Though gender is a social construct, our society is based around a history of gender as it relates to traditions, values, social norms, culture, etc. Here we are assigning thoughts and opinions to someone based on their gender.
   • You are working on compensation for a newly identified candidate, who is a Woman of Color with a master’s degree in her field. When talking to the hiring manager, they reference that she disclosed she is three months pregnant. Though they are still selecting her for the job, you two discuss the fact that she is not as career driven as she could be, so you agree to compensate her 5% less than her male colleagues with similar experience. Because of your bias, you have determined that she won’t work as hard and if she’s going to be “taking time off to have her baby” then it is okay to compensate her at a lower rate.
6. Age Bias – We have a history of thoughts about what someone is able to do based on how old they are. With an age bias, we are assigning a value and skillset based on an entire group of people, rather than considering the experiences of an individual.
   • You are investigating an employee relations claim where there is a dispute between two colleagues that have a thirty-year age gap between them. The older employee is charged with making offensive comments and the younger employee is adamant that they need to be fired. This situation can go in a number of directions:
     • Because of your bias, you determine that the older professional cannot learn how to be inclusive, so they are held accountable for their words and fired. You later found out that they simply did not know what they had said was offensive, had apologized and were committed to learning.
     • Because of your bias, you determine that the younger professional is not a team player, and they are too naïve to work in the organization, so you demote them and they resign. You later find out that this person was willing to train the organization on equity, inclusion, and opportunity to support the agency’s culture.
7. Authority Bias – As a society based in hierarchy and structure, we value the opinions of those in charge more than the opinions others. When we focus on the thoughts/ideas of those with power, we are in turn silencing those who are not in power.
   • You are working on a state-wide marketing campaign and have been taking direction from the agency head and chief of staff, who are both white men. When you are presenting the rough drafts to the team, several of your peers and their direct reports make comments about the imagery and message you are conveying and suggest that they can be elevated to be more inclusive. Because of your bias, you choose to value the opinions of the two men in charge and make no changes, resulting in a homogenous marketing campaign.
8. The Halo Effect – When we have one or two positive interactions with someone, we can easily allow them to cloud our overall perception of that person. Instead of building our understanding of someone based on everything they bring to the table (good, bad, and ugly), we focus on the good.
   • You are working in the field, and when you first started Sallie Mae was very nice to you and even complimented you on your outfit. Now, three weeks later, people are reporting Sallie Mae for inappropriate comments and promoting a toxic work culture. Because of your bias, you dismiss the experiences of those around you since Sallie Mae was just so nice to you that one time.
9. The Horn Effect – Opposite of the Halo Effect, when we have one or two negative interactions with someone, we can easily allow them to cloud our overall perception of that person. Instead of building our understanding of someone based on everything they bring to the table (good, bad and ugly), we focus on the bad and ugly.
   • You are working in central office and have a negative interaction with a division director. Now you are expected to collaborate with this person several times a week and you cannot get the negative experience off your mind. Because of your bias, you show up with a negative attitude to meetings and dismiss the director’s comments, both of which create further distance between you two.

Combatting Bias

Just as there are a myriad of types of unconscious bias, there are also a number of ways to combat these thought patterns. At the end of the day, know that this work takes energy and is a continuous process:

• Internal Reflection
  • Accept that we all experience unconscious bias. Acknowledge when it is occurring and the feelings that are associated with these thoughts.
  • Take time to consider actions. Instead of making fast decisions, sit with your thoughts and think about your decision before making it.
  • Track your behavior. From first impressions to lasting opinions on others, reflect on why you feel the way you do about individuals.
  • Pay attention to your surroundings. Notice when people say things or make decisions that cause you to feel uneasy and/or are likely rooted in bias.

• External Action
  • Widen your social and/or media circle. Make an effort to learn more about people and social identities that are different than your own. For example, try listening to “The ‘double-edged sword’ of being a Black first” podcast by NPR. As you hear about the experiences and perceptions of others, try to reconcile your own feelings and your preconceived notions.
  • Use rotations to avoid stereotyping. When your team has roles and responsibilities that can be satisfied by anyone, switch up who takes on these tasks. For example, do not rely on women to always be note takers during meetings.
  • Speak out when you notice bias. This can be uncomfortable and “against the social norm,” but the people that are experiencing bias deserve to have it disrupted. For example, if a white man speaks over a Woman of Color in a meeting, call it out and encourage her to finish her thought. By allowing these biases to continue, we perpetuate the assumption that they should be allowed.
  • Apologize when you make a mistake. When you make a mistake, you need to own the mistake and apologize for the impact it has – whether it was intentional or unintentional. More importantly, you need to center the apology and not yourself. For example, “Sally, I am sorry for what I said. Upon further reflection I was making a decision that was connected to a bias that I have. I apologize for the impact it may have had on you.”