Diversity, Equity and Inclusion – Unconscious Bias

Unconscious bias (or implicit bias) is often defined as “prejudice or unsupported judgments in favor of (or against) one thing, person, or group as compared to another, in a way that is usually considered unfair.” We have all experienced the concept of unconscious bias in the workplace at some point in our career whether we recognized it at the time or not. Many researchers believe unconscious bias will occur as an automatic response of the brain when quick judgments are required. Many unconscious biases in today’s world tend to be exhibited toward minority groups based on factors such as: nationality, class, gender, age, race, ethnicity, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, and disability.

Leaders may rely on their past experiences as background for discerning on future judgments. When unconscious biases occur in an organization, some people benefit while other people are penalized.

Organization’s must be able to recognize the concepts of unconscious bias and pro-actively develop practices that help the organization move beyond those practices. This will ultimately assist in supporting your DEI program.

Topics Covered

• The realities of unconscious bias
• Recognizing your own unconscious bias
• Combatting unconscious bias