Unconscious Bias in the Workplace

2. Halo Effect and Horns Effect

Now pause and think of someone whom you consider to be a confident presenter and describe this person. What are the words you would use to describe them? Do they tend to be positive descriptors which you associate with their confidence? If so, this may be the result of a ‘halo effect’ which is the tendency to focus on one particularly positive feature about an individual and allow it to skew and influence your opinion of them in other aspects. Conversely, the ‘horns effect’ works in the opposite direction, where one particularly negative trait of an individual clouds our overall perception of that individual. For example, a co-worker with short job stints may be perceived as an unreliable job-hopper.

3. Confirmation Bias

Confirmation bias can lead us to form inaccurate impressions of others by selectively recalling and interpreting information that confirms our existing beliefs based on stereotypes or past incidents, while rejecting evidence that contradicts them. This is problematic in the workplace, as it leads to poor decision-making, miscommunication and conflict among co-workers. You can see confirmation bias at work when you cherry-pick specific information that reinforces your existing beliefs. For instance, assuming a team member is sloppy with his work based on his less than tidy appearance may make you constantly look out for evidence of sloppiness, or assume his work will always be sloppy. However, this may not be true at all – we are just looking out for information to confirm our beliefs.

4. Conformity Bias

This is a common dilemma that we often face in group settings. For instance, when brainstorming solutions with colleagues, have you ever felt pressured to agree with the majority even though you may have some reservations, or when your opinion differs from the team? This illustrates conformity bias.

5. Attribution Bias

This is the tendency to have different rationale for our behaviours and those of others. For example, we tend to attribute our accomplishments to our skills and personal traits such as determination, and attribute our failures to external factors beyond our control, e.g. the circumstance. It also reinforces our existing stereotypes – when a person displays stereotype-consistent behaviour, it will strengthen our stereotypes. However, when stereotype-inconsistent behaviour is displayed, we are more likely to attribute it to external factors to preserve our stereotypes. For instance, a manager with a stereotype about older workers’ IT ability might attribute an older employee’s good performance in an IT project to external factors such as good luck and strong support from team members, rather than his IT skills and accomplishments.

The various types of biases described show us how unconscious bias can manifest at the individual/micro level. If left unchecked, our individual biases could collectively have a major impact on the organisation. These may create an unhealthy work environment that fosters an ‘us’ versus ‘them’ mindset and undermine collaborative efforts, sharing of knowledge and information, and affect work productivity and deliverables. In some cases, it leads organisations to groupthink and away from building a robust team with diverse perspectives and capabilities.

Effective Strategies to Address Unconscious Bias

To address unconscious bias, intentional efforts are required and each of us has a part to play. The first step to combating unconscious bias is to recognise our own individual biases to limit their impact. You could start with these simple yet vital steps:

Take an Online Test

Harvard University’s Project Implicit¹ provides a free online Implicit Association Test (IAT) which measures attitudes and beliefs that people may be unwilling or unable to report. For instance, an individual may say that both men and women can excel in STEM careers, but the test results may show that they associate men with science more than women; an attitude or belief that they may not be consciously aware of.

Assess your Network

Ask the following questions – Within the last week…

• Whom have I asked for advice among my co-workers?
• Whom haven’t I asked for advice or listened to during meetings?
• Whom do I surround myself with? Who is in my inner team and are they similar or different from me?
• Who do I feel most or least comfortable with and why?

Assess Your Belief and Actions

Take note of how and why you react in a given situation. Some factors to consider:

• What are the assumptions I make about others?
• Do I know them well enough to make these assumptions?
• Have I had a regular conversation with colleagues who are different from me?

Once you have identified your biases, have an effective action plan to minimise and ultimately eradicate them. For example, try starting conversations with individuals whom you may not have sought out before due to a lack of common ground. On work matters, seek out opportunities to get guidance from and even give inputs and feedback to colleagues whom you have infrequent interactions with.

Making a deliberate effort to create opportunities to socialise and communicate with others with diverse backgrounds and experiences enables us to exchange ideas and perspectives, increase familiarity and appreciation for our differences and tear down biases.

Employers and HR professionals among us could also do our part to eliminate institutional bias by reviewing organisational policies, practices and processes. Break the cycle of bias by developing structured processes to prevent decision makers from relying on their gut feeling or unconscious bias when making choices for the organisation. Some essential steps for employers to consider include:

Ensure there is a set of objective criteria and an evaluation form² to shortlist candidates when hiring.

Adopt a transparent appraisal system with measurable standards for assessing job performance.

Implement a clear grievance handling procedure³ to provide employees with a safe channel to raise their concerns and complaints without fear of negative repercussions, and facilitate the resolution of a grievance (e.g. if they are the subject of biased behaviours).

For more information on unconscious bias and how it affects our decision-making, you can watch a three-part video series developed by Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices (TAFEP)⁴ featuring six common types of unconscious bias and ways to overcome them.

For more resources and events from TAFEP, visit tafep.sg.