Unconscious and Implicit Bias
Unconscious bias occurs when someone who does not know you makes assumptions about your character, intelligence or capabilities based on how you look, speak or behave. This person does so not realizing that he or she is thinking or reacting this way.
"There are many signs of unconscious and conscious bias happening in the workplace, but particularly across society during this time of societal unrest," said Denise L. Caleb, executive vice president and chief transformation officer at Talent Plus Inc. in Denver. "The signs can be through exclusion, unfair practices, off-color jokes, stereotyping commentary, and just general unfair and unkind treatment of others."
Workplace experts say relying on employee complaints to combat bias, whether conscious or unconscious, is not enough.
"Being proactive and pre-emptively diagnosing areas of concern is where the focus should lie," said Janine Yancey, chief executive officer at Emtrain, a San Francisco-based workplace culture training firm. "One of the areas that is most readily identifiable is the 'us versus them' dynamic, which is often fueled by unconscious bias. Sometimes it plays out between management and employees, and other times it's between employees and [their] team members."
An us-versus-them scenario can present itself in subtle ways.
"From employees discussing where a person of color is from because they assume they're foreign born, to groups forming to belittle a co-worker for their ideals and values," Yancey said. "Instead of waiting for a complaint to come—which may never come—it's crucial that management engages with employees on a consistent basis, promotes dialogue and analyzes where any potential 'hot spots' reside." Once those practices are in place, then managers must work to rectify issues via an established unconscious-bias program.
Microaggressions
Unconscious bias in the workplace often manifests itself through workplace microaggressions, which are indirect, subtle or unintentional discrimination against members of a marginalized group.
"Microaggressions are silent killers of morale for team members who are victimized," said Natajia Miller, a diversity consultant and founder of Mind Fro Travel, a Bahamas-based consultancy focused on cultural awareness. "Microaggressions are basically verbal or nonverbal slights discriminating against someone."
The best way to root out microaggressions is with diversity and inclusion training sessions that provide examples of microaggressions and how management and employees can respond effectively, Miller said.
