Make Unconscious Bias Training More Than Just a Checkbox Exercise

Unconscious bias training is crucial to understanding our own implicit biases and how they impact the workplace, as well as building more diverse and inclusive organisations. However, studies have shown that typical unconscious bias training programs do not change behaviours — and can actually increase workplace discrimination.

So what makes the difference between training that simply checks a box and that which creates meaningful change? Indeed’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB+) education manager, Taytiana Welch-McClure, shares six elements of unconscious bias training that will deliver tangible, lasting results.  

Recognise the Problem

The first step in countering unconscious bias is understanding why it exists — and how it permeates everything. Unconscious bias is defined as, “stereotypes or assumptions we make outside of our awareness.” Essentially, our brains create shortcuts based on information specific to our lived experiences that lead us to make snap judgments about others. The resulting bias can take the form of unfair assumptions, preferential treatment, microaggressions or exclusionary behaviour that can even cause workplace harassment or discrimination. 

Indeed’s unconscious bias training program is an e-learning module that reveals the spectrum of biases that may be encountered at work.

“If you are not familiar with the way bias can hinder folks in the workplace, it is helpful to see examples of how this shows up in places you would never realise,” says Welch-McClure. “It builds a foundation for people who may not have been able to recognise unconscious bias in the past.”

Shining a light on bias can have a wide-ranging impact. For example, when individuals can recognise and report unconscious bias in the promotions process, it helps combat this on a systemic level.

Encourage Deep Reflection

Simply acknowledging unconscious bias exists will not change behaviours. The next step is reflecting on how it influences our assumptions, interactions and decisions in the workplace. 

For example, Chela White-Ramsey, Ph.D., senior executive advisor on Indeed’s talent intelligence team, says a common type of unconscious bias called affinity bias, or “like me syndrome,” shows up during job interviews through innocuous questions like “Where did you grow up?” or “What is your favourite book?” While these questions will not help to determine if candidates have what it takes to succeed, she says, they will help you “hire a lot of people who are just like you.”

However, according to Welch-McClure, most unconscious bias training does not go far enough in this area. She advocates a much deeper level of reflection about identity.

“Our identities and our perceptions of other people's identities are what we are reacting to when our biases are on show,” she says. By understanding the components of who we are, our privilege and how identity influences our biases, we will be more likely to catch ourselves making assumptions or judgments and stop them in their tracks. 

Offer Actionable Tools

Once they understand unconscious bias and the role of identity, participants need tools for taking action to combat it. Welch-McClure suggests this simple framework for challenging our discomfort in real-world situations:

1. Reflect: What does your social circle look like? Who is most familiar to you? Do you work with people you feel uncomfortable around or who are not “like you”?

2. Recognise: What is behind these feelings of discomfort? Is it really the other people or could it be your lack of familiarity with those outside your social circle? 

3. Challenge: When you feel discomfort “at any particularmoment”, do not react right away. Challenge the feeling by giving yourself time to assess the root cause and any possible biases.

“By recognising what is familiar to you, and then requiring yourself to stop and not respond immediately, you start to take action,” says Welch-McClure. “It is as simple as saying, ‘I am committing myself to taking a deep breath before I respond to something. If I do not like something, I am going to ask myself why.’” 

The next time you feel as though you are not “clicking” with a colleague or you feel at odds, stop and examine the disconnect — is it for a legitimate reason, or is it unconscious bias at play?

Connect the Dots

Do not create your unconscious bias training program in a silo — thread the concept throughout all of your DEIB+ training programs, so people understand how these issues are connected. For example, a psychological safety training program might illustrate how unconscious bias could cause someone to feel uncomfortable and unsafe at work, versus feeling secure, speaking up and being their authentic selves. 

In this way, says Welch-McClure, “no matter what people are doing in learning about diversity, inclusion and belonging, they can connect everything back to the core concept of unconscious bias — because it literally permeates everything.” 

Measure Outcomes

It is impossible to determine whether your workplace is actually reducing unconscious bias without monitoring outcomes. Welch-McClure recommends two key methods:

1. Retention/attrition data: Are people from underrepresented groups staying with your company long-term or running for the door? This proxy metric will help gauge the sense of psychological safety employees feel and how well your organisation is supporting inclusivity and belonging.

2. Employee surveys: Conduct ongoing, anonymous employee feedback surveys with specific questions focused on DEIB+ issues. Do women employees feel as though they are treated fairly, that they are welcomed and that they are supported? Do they feel they have adequate mentorship opportunities, or are there other resources that would help them thrive?

Though an intangible concept like unconscious bias can be difficult to pinpoint, asking pointed questions will help get closer to a true metric for measuring training results.

Lead by Example

Effective unconscious bias training requires buy-in from the top down. Business leaders can help set the tone by publicly challenging their own thinking, looking for signs of double standards and critically questioning recruitment and promotion decisions. How the Best Bosses Interrupt Bias on Their Teams. 

According to a report by Business Today, “it has been noticed that experienced leaders are especially susceptible to deluding themselves into thinking their conclusions are accurate and fair. These judgements, and the behaviours that they encourage as a result, can go unchecked for years and even permeate right into the fabric of a company's culture if people do not challenge their presumptions and reevaluate where a belief originates from.

Men often receive feedback that is more explicit and thorough, but women frequently receive feedback that is ambiguous and predicated on assumptions. This is a blatant instance of unintentional prejudice, which frequently goes unreported.

These are the kinds of unnoticed prejudices that must be exposed repeatedly, aggressively, and through every available media.”

According to a report published by the consulting firm DDI India “Unconscious bias is so prevalent in India Inc. that women professionals are not even asked if they are prepared to take on high-profile leadership roles, even if they are qualified. While organisations have little doubt about the potential of female leaders, their male counterparts frequently second-guess their female counterparts. They frequently believe it would be unjust to ask a female colleague to relocate or travel extensively. After all, she is the carer as well, and she may not be up to the task! As a result, only 27% of women in middle management are given leadership roles, compared to 73% of men. At the executive level, women account for 21% of the workforce.”

While companies are gradually recognising the importance of a gender-diverse workforce and consciously hiring more women, preparing them for leadership roles is still in its infancy. According to the DDI report, 42% of female leaders in P&L roles across 1,700 companies were promoted to the top position, compared to 51% of male leaders. The lack of female leaders at the top is largely due to their lack of exposure in early executive roles. At the early executive level, nearly 81% of men have P&L responsibilities, compared to 63% of women.

Given that all C-suite jobs necessitate taking on P&L responsibility, the significant difference is extremely important.

According to Amogh Deshmukh, Managing Director of DDI India, "Companies are not doing enough to train women in leadership roles." "By stating that they will hire 40% women at the entry level, they are essentially checking a box. How many ladies have they been able to train for the next stage is the question to ask.

“Having leadership willing to fund unconscious bias training, to talk about the importance of it and to demonstrate the work they're doing on themselves is the difference between having to explain why we're doing the training and being able to deliver content, provide that training and facilitate meaningful conversations,” says Welch-McClure, noting that Indeed’s core value of inclusion,“helps people understand that it is part of the fabric of the company embedded in everything we do.”

Make Lasting, Systemic Change

Committing to change on a systemic level is essential to making a lasting difference. Bias-proofing the hiring process is a great place to start, says Welch-McClure and goes hand in hand with unconscious bias training. Process-oriented hiring keeps our instinct to make mental shortcuts in check, while learning about unconscious bias helps people understand the “why” behind this approach. 

Start by designing a structured interview process that removes room for bias, including interview questions that map to the skills you are hiring for, not personal traits. In addition, train all hiring managers and interviewers on strategies for conducting fair and equitable interviews and encourage them to actively challenge bias in the hiring process.

“How do we work together collectively to ensure our hiring processes are equitable and as free as possible from unconscious bias?” asks Welch-McClure. “As humans, there is always going to be some bias, because our brains are wired that way. But that is why we challenge our discomfort.”