Unconscious Bias: Hidden Forces Undermining Women At Work
Unconscious bias is something that we all have – no one is immune from it. It’s that thing in our brain that kicks in and gives us first impressions about people. Before we actually know a person, our brain is already making judgments: Is this person a friend or a threat? Is this person capable or not? Our brains make these assessments in less than .1 of a second! Unfortunately, our brains are often wrong. We may see danger when there is no danger, and we may fail to detect danger when there is, based on our unconscious biases.
Unconscious biases are also at play as workplace leaders consider who to hire, who will receive the coveted top positions, and who will work on the next major project. Unfortunately, these biases tend to work against women in male-dominated workplaces, making it more difficult for women to succeed.
Common Unconscious Biases Women Face
There are 4 common unconscious biases that work against women:
Men are presumed to be competent and women are not presumed to be competent. This requires women to prove themselves over and over again.
Women are often not fully seen and heard which may result in women being overlooked for important projects or other advancement opportunities.
Women are judged if they do not behave like the dominant male culture. This means that women may find it difficult to be authentic and thrive at work, and that organizations miss out on their talents.
Often coined the “motherhood penalty,” women are presumed to be less committed to work after we have children unlike men who are presumed to be more committed to work after becoming fathers.
Unconscious bias can also work against men who want to do work in areas historically performed by women – from being primary caregivers to daycare jobs.
Actions to Reduce Unconscious Bias
There are online tests you can take to measure your own bias. Harvard University started an online testing program called Project Implicit several years ago. This free test measures your unconscious biases based on gender, race, religion, age, and more.
We cannot completely eliminate our own unconscious bias. The best way to deal with bias is to recognize it exists and check ourselves and others as decisions are made about who will receive opportunities, particularly about who to recruit, hire, promote, or terminate. Checking ourselves and others will reduce the opportunity for bias to impact decisions. We can also reduce bias by listening to stories about women who don’t fit our stereotypes so that we begin to reconfigure our innate assumptions. You can learn more about unconscious bias aby listening to Episode 2: How to Uncover Unconscious Bias So We Can See Women.
Join Us
The Parity Podcast was founded by Cathy Nestrick and Deborah Pollack-Milgate. Cathy is a former law partner and General Counsel of a Fortune 500 company. Deborah is a partner at Barnes and Thornburg, practicing IP and commercial litigation. Both are committed to accelerating gender parity through the Parity Prescription. We are happy to talk to you and your organization about how we can work together to create a more diverse and inclusive workplace. You can learn more about our work at www.par-ity.com and you can reach us at CathyandDeborah@par-ity.com.
