{"id":36944,"date":"2020-09-17T09:00:53","date_gmt":"2020-09-17T13:00:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.com\/blog\/?post_type=emagazine&p=36944"},"modified":"2020-11-18T04:04:07","modified_gmt":"2020-11-18T09:04:07","slug":"unconscious-bias-reducing-impact","status":"publish","type":"emagazine","link":"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.com\/blog\/secure-futures-magazine\/unconscious-bias-reducing-impact\/36944\/","title":{"rendered":"There’s a way to tackle unconscious bias without shame and blame"},"content":{"rendered":"

Recently, I went back to watch some TV series I remembered fondly from my childhood in the 1980s. I started with high-tech car and human crime-fighting buddy show Knight Rider<\/a> and went on to \u2018Mobile Army Surgical Hospital\u2019 comedy M*A*S*H<\/a>.<\/p>\n

I pulled the plug on the project after one episode of each. I\u2019d imagined \u2018slightly off\u2019 social values and rudimentary special effects, but I had to stop because the barrage of sexist and racist stereotypes was simply too much. I\u2019d expected \u201cso bad it\u2019s good,\u201d but it was \u201cso bad it\u2019s depressing.\u201d<\/p>\n

It was the fact I didn\u2019t remember any of these stereotypes that made me reflect on their power. My memories of these shows were emotional. I remember laughter, suspense and empathy for the characters. But the stereotypes would not have gone over my head. They were probably assimilated into my thinking without question.<\/p>\n

\u2018Unconscious bias\u2019 is a phrase heard more often these days. It suggests stereotypes like these (that we may or may not recall being exposed to) are partly behind unconscious discrimination in the workplace and other parts of life. Finding ways to address this bias could let us make better business decisions. Two experts in the field, Howard J. Ross, author of Everyday bias: Identifying and navigating unconscious judgments in our daily lives<\/a>, and Dr. Fatima Tresh<\/a>, evidence-based business psychologist, explain what unconscious bias is and what business leaders can do about it.<\/p>\n

What is unconscious bias?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Howard J. Ross: \u201cThe human brain is designed to learn from past experiences. For example, if we\u2019re young and we touch a burner on a stove, we learn that it can burn us, so next time we approach one, we\u2019re more hesitant and more careful, so we don\u2019t get burned again. Bias is that brain function that lets us make quick determinations \u2013 largely to keep us safe. There\u2019s nothing inherently bad about it, but it can have us make the wrong decisions. Say, when a police officer approaches someone who looks dangerous to them because of racial stereotyping, they may pull the trigger when they shouldn\u2019t have.\u201d<\/p>\n\t\t\t

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Dr. Fatima Tresh: \u201cWe\u2019re exposed to a phenomenal amount of information our brains cannot consciously process. \u201cRules of thumb\u201d help us make quick decisions. These rules categorize people, events and objects based on our experiences. Our experiences include stereotypes we\u2019ve been exposed to, sometimes leading us to make a poor decision.\u201d<\/p>\n

What impact can unconscious bias have in the workplace?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Dr. Tresh: \u201cSome of the most common forms of bias are around how we perceive and interact with others. For example, \u2018affinity bias\u2019 is our tendency to prefer others similar to ourselves. The negative impact of unconscious bias comes from acting on these biases. Affinity bias may make us unconsciously advantage others similar to us and disadvantage those we think are different. Research has shown unconscious bias is one reason women, minority ethnic and other groups are underrepresented in leadership.\u201d<\/p>\n

Affinity bias is just one type of bias that can unconsciously influence us. Women-in-the-workplace non-profit Catalyst gives other kinds of bias and ways to limit their impact<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Howard J. Ross: \u201cUnconscious biases inform most decisions we make.\u201d
\n\"HowardHoward J. Ross, author of Everyday bias: Identifying and navigating unconscious judgments in our daily lives<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

In the workplace, we\u2019re making decisions about people all the time \u2013 whether to hire them or give them a promotion \u2013 but also more subtle decisions, like how carefully we listen to someone or whether we give them a stretch assignment.<\/p>\n

Howard J. Ross, author of Everyday Bias<\/p><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n

\u201cWhen those biases are coupled with racial, gender or other stereotypes, it may lean us towards unfairly favoring particular groups.\u201d<\/p>\n

What can business leaders do to address unconscious bias?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Howard J. Ross: \u201cThere\u2019s been a big push to do unconscious bias training. It\u2019s part of the solution but won\u2019t resolve anything on its own. If you go back to the same system and organization, you\u2019re likely to drift back to the same behavior. Unconscious bias training has the biggest impact when it helps people understand how they think and make decisions.<\/p>\n

\u201cAfter training, use nudging or priming techniques: Reminders built into the system that nudge us toward doing the right thing. I call them \u2018at-the-moment training.\u2019 If you had unconscious bias training four months ago, but you go into a performance review and quickly read, \u2018Five ways to avoid bias in performance reviews,\u2019 it\u2019s at the front of your mind when it matters most.<\/p>\n

\u201cThen look for ways to mitigate bias in structures and systems. How do we interview? How do we hire? How do we decide on promotions? Using interview panels rather than one interviewer helps. Giving candidates the questions a day in advance helps balance out native and non-native language speakers. My book, Everyday bias<\/a> has advice about how to reduce the impact of unconscious bias at work.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dr. Tresh: \u201cLeaders should be aware of the impact of unconscious bias and explore their own biases. They should reflect on how they communicate with their team members and those in their business, and notice when the quantity and quality of communication differ between individuals and groups.\u201d
\n\"unconsciousDr. Fatima Tresh<\/a>, evidence-based business psychologist<\/em><\/p>\n

\u2018Blindspot bias\u2019 is the tendency to spot biases in others but not in ourselves. It may help to start by accepting there are unconscious biases in all our decisions.<\/p>\n

Dr. Fatima Tresh, evidence-based business psychologist<\/p><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n

\u201cWhen looking for potential influence of unconscious bias in systems and processes in your organizations, assume it\u2019s there. Even technology has biases <\/a>because people with biases design it<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n

What does unconscious bias training involve?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Howard J. Ross: \u201cGood training involves three parts.<\/p>\n

\u201cFirst is understanding what bias is. People begin to develop the ability to watch themselves think and intervene. We teach people why it matters and give them skills to do that.<\/p>\n

\u201cNext is helping people understand how this changes their decisions. Finally, what they can do about unconscious bias, personally and as an organization.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dr. Tresh: \u201cUnconscious bias training might be designed to help people understand what unconscious bias is and its impact, reduce that bias, reduce conscious biases or change behavior.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ll often be asked to take a bias test<\/a>, measuring your reaction time when grouping concepts (say, \u2018good\u2019 or \u2018bad\u2019) with different groups of people (say, \u2018men\u2019 and \u2018women.\u2019) The tests are designed to show that people group stereotypically associated words faster (for example, man and leader,) and more slowly if the words are not linked by a stereotype (for example, woman and leader.) There are debates on the reliability of these tests.<\/p>\n

\u201cTraining may also include techniques or tips for reducing personal unconscious bias or mitigating the impact of it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dr. Tresh, you looked at <\/strong>the effectiveness of unconscious bias training for the UK\u2019s Equality and Human Rights Commission<\/strong><\/a> with Doyin Atewologun and Tinu Cornish. What did you find out?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Dr. Tresh: \u201cMost unconscious bias training is limited to raising participants\u2019 awareness about what unconscious bias is. The \u2018gold standard\u2019 is changing people\u2019s behavior, but evidence for that is limited. Research shows rigorous training designed to treat bias as a habit may have longer-term effects on behavior.
\n\"unconsciousThere are potential backlash effects from unconscious bias training. It may emphasize negative stereotypes without challenging them, perhaps amplifying the stereotype for the participants.\u201d<\/p>\n

Some people, such as white men, can be reluctant to learn about unconscious bias because they think they\u2019re perceived as the problem<\/strong><\/a>. What would you say to those concerns? <\/strong><\/p>\n

Howard J. Ross: \u201cBlaming and shaming doesn\u2019t help. We try to educate people. We give them an opportunity to try out new ways of thinking.\u201d<\/p>\n

Howard, you\u2019ve been quoted as saying, \u201cReplace your exclamation marks with question marks.\u201d Why is that so important for leaders?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Howard J. Ross: \u201cSuccessful people tend to be more sure of themselves. They stop questioning their assumptions and conclusions. They\u2019re liable to think, \u201cThis person is <\/em>this way,\u201d or \u201cthis situation should <\/em>be handled this way.\u201d Being more questioning might mean thinking, \u201cThey might <\/em>be this way, but they might be another way,\u201d or \u201cWhat\u2019s the best <\/em>way to handle this?\u201d It brings a spirit of inquiry rather than assurity.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMy research found that when someone meets the criteria for leadership potential, whether their potential is recognized depends on their gender, position in the group and perceived similarity to the team manager<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cI also looked at how stereotypes and business culture influence how we see our own leadership potential. Those from underrepresented groups rated their leadership potential less highly.\u201d<\/p>\n

So what should we be doing about unconscious bias?<\/h2>\n

Tresh and Ross highlighted that unconscious bias training can be useful, but may not be enough on its own to reduce the influence of bias on business decisions. How should we use understanding unconscious bias to make our workplaces fairer?<\/p>\n

1.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Make unconscious bias part of leadership training<\/h3>\n

In an article on Quartz at Work, Mastercard\u2019s Chief Inclusion Officer Randall Tucker points out unconscious bias training is framed differently to other workplace education. He thinks the words \u2018unconscious bias training\u2019 make people defensive by emphasizing the negative<\/a>. Workshops on financial acumen, executive presence or almost any other topic in corporate training are presented to employees in positive terms. \u201cNo one says \u2018You need financial deficiency training,'\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

Tucker thinks unconscious bias training should be part of leadership training. \u201cIf [the training] is about leadership\u2026 people don\u2019t have to take off their inclusion hat and then put on a leadership hat. It\u2019s the same hat.\u201d<\/p>\n

2.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Collect detailed data so you can see where the problems are<\/h3>\n

Ross emphasizes the value of collecting detailed data about your hiring processes. \u201cIf your business finds it\u2019s only hiring 20 percent women, you need to identify the scale of the problem at each point by collecting the percentages who apply for jobs that are women, get a job offer, accept the offer and are successful after six months.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese numbers will show you where you need the most change. For example, if you find you\u2019ve got low numbers of women applying, you may need to look at where and how you advertise. If there\u2019s a drop-off in how many are successful after six months, look at how you\u2019re inducting people and how they\u2019re managed.\u201d<\/p>\n

3.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Take practical steps to reduce the impact of unconscious bias<\/h3>\n

Tresh and Ross describe how we acquire biases across a lifetime \u2013 or at least, starting in early life. Working to undo bias may be a long process, while the need for organizations to change \u2013 appointing and promoting the best possible people \u2013 is immediate. Tresh pointed to the difference between manager assessments of leadership potential and more objective measures, suggesting there may be better ways to identify employees with leadership potential than just asking managers what they think.<\/p>\n

In a Forbes article, Laurence Bradford asks a range of tech companies for their strategies to mitigate bias<\/a>. Their advice includes reviewing job descriptions for coded sexist or in-group language, establishing parental support packages before anyone needs them and making sure perks (like a group meal out) are offered at times when everyone can attend.<\/p>\n

In the same article, AI communications company Dialpad<\/a> goes beyond the oft-cited examples of AI amplifying human biases when sorting resum\u00e9s<\/a>, proposing a technological \u2018patch\u2019 for bias. Chief Human Resources Officer Tasha Liniger says, \u201c[In any meeting] the designated notetaker is\u2026 probably not a white male. [Being trapped] at their keyboard reduces their chances of being able to think creatively and offer ideas. AI-driven speech recognition and real-time transcription can help level the playing field in those moments.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tech industries often show bias in role and gender association. In cybersecurity, you often hear about the \u201cgood guys\u201d fighting the \u201cbad guys.\u201d But cybercriminals, and those who stand against them, are all types of people.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s time to make the structures and systems of your organization fairer to all. The pressures of global recession in the wake of COVID-19 means no business can afford to rest on its laurels. We may not be able to untangle the effects of stereotypes on our subconscious easily. Still, we can take practical steps to limit the power of bias, letting us make better, fairer decisions.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Everyone has biases that can lead to discrimination. Blaming and shaming gets us nowhere, and training isn\u2019t enough. But you can make changes that work.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2552,"featured_media":37045,"template":"","coauthors":[3673],"class_list":{"0":"post-36944","1":"emagazine","2":"type-emagazine","3":"status-publish","4":"has-post-thumbnail","6":"emagazine-category-leadership","7":"emagazine-category-women-and-diversity","8":"emagazine-tag-women-and-diversity"},"hreflang":[{"hreflang":"x-default","url":"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.com\/blog\/secure-futures-magazine\/unconscious-bias-reducing-impact\/36944\/"},{"hreflang":"en-us","url":"https:\/\/usa.kaspersky.com\/blog\/secure-futures-magazine\/unconscious-bias-reducing-impact\/23315\/"}],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/emagazine\/36944","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/emagazine"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/emagazine"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2552"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/37045"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=36944"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=36944"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}