Introduction
Our unconscious mind plays a powerful role in shaping decisions that can significantly affect our workplace, as well as the lives and opportunities of others. By making rapid judgements about people we meet—based on characteristics such as gender, race, and social background—we may unknowingly allow unconscious bias to influence our decisions.
Different types of Bias
Race
Gender
Religion
Disability
Ethnicity
Sexuality
Appearance
Social Background
Age
Football Team
Friendships
Job
Accent
How to identify different types of bias?
By improving your awareness of these types, you’ll be able to identify them more readily in your organisation. You’ll also be more aware of your own personal biases.
Affinity Bias
Affinity bias occurs when we unconsciously favour someone because they share a similar background or experiences to ourselves—or to someone we already like. This could be as simple as attending the same school, supporting the same sports team, or enjoying the same TV shows. While these commonalities feel comforting, they are not a reliable measure of a person’s ability or potential.
The Halo Effect
The halo effect occurs when we notice one positive quality in a person—sometimes influenced by affinity bias—or focus on a particular strength they have. That “halo” can colour our perception of everything else about them, causing us to overlook other important information.
The Horns Effect
This is the opposite of the halo effect, where a single perceived negative trait shapes our overall opinion of someone. Like the halo effect, it can cause us to overlook other important information and prevents us from forming an objective view of the individual.
Confirmation Bias
When we judge someone, we often unconsciously seek out information that confirms our assumptions, because we want to feel confident that our judgement is correct. The risk, however, is that these instinctive judgments can be completely wrong.
Conformity Bias
Conformity bias, also known as ‘group think’ relates to bias caused by group peer pressure. We naturally seek acceptance from those around us and tend to behave similarly rather than using our own personal judgement in certain situations. The risk, however, is that these instinctive judgments can be completely wrong.
How unconscious bias can influence decisions?
Our Perceptions
Unconscious thoughts may be shaped by stereotypes or social prejudices we are not aware we hold. For example, assumptions about mothers can lead to biased views about a woman’s suitability for roles that require frequent travel.
Our Attitudes and Behaviours
Unconscious bias can affect how we think about and interact with others, such as gravitating towards people who share a similar social or educational background to our own.
Our Attention
Bias may cause us to focus more closely on certain behaviours or characteristics of some individuals while overlooking the same traits in others. For instance, an employee who dresses more casually than their colleagues may be unfairly scrutinised for their punctuality or organisational skills.
Our Listening Skills
Unconscious bias can influence how attentively we listen to different people. Research shows that the same information can be interpreted differently depending on factors such as the speaker’s gender or accent.
Our Micro-affirmations
Micro-affirmations are small actions that recognise an individual’s value and contributions, such as speaking positively about their work or involving them in high-profile projects. The frequency and nature of these affirmations can be shaped by unconscious bias.
The steps to take to reduce bias in decision-making processes
These unconscious influences can be particularly harmful in recruitment, promotion, and performance management, as talented employees may be overlooked in favour of those who share similar characteristics or perspectives. Controlling these biases can be challenging, especially when we rely on first impressions or gut feelings. While we cannot simply switch off unconscious biases, we can recognise and actively address them.
Promoting diversity at all levels strengthens an organisation. Success comes from creating opportunities for the broadest possible range of talent. If unconscious bias limits our choices to people who look, think, or act like us, the organisation risks remaining unrepresentative and restricting the potential of its employees. Additionally, such biases can lead to discrimination, particularly regarding protected characteristics such as race, gender, or sexuality.
How To Address Unconscious Bias?
Once you can recognise unconscious bias and understand how it influences your thinking, you can take practical steps to reduce its impact on your decisions. Here are some simple strategies to help you prioritise careful analysis over instinct:
Take your time with decisions
It can be tempting to rely on gut feelings or first impressions, but give yourself time to reflect on your choices. Consider asking a colleague for an objective perspective to challenge your assumptions.
Justify decisions with evidence
Whenever possible, support your decisions with clear evidence and record your reasoning. This is especially important in decisions related to recruitment, promotions, and performance management.
Work with a broader range of people
We naturally gravitate toward familiar colleagues when making decisions or running projects. Make a conscious effort to involve a more diverse group of people to broaden perspectives and reduce bias.
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