unconscious bias webinar presentation
TRANSCRIPT
An introduction to unconscious bias testingWith Implicitly author Dr Pete Jones
Session Plan
• What is ‘unconscious’ and how does it affect our people decisions?
• How does bias testing fit in?• What does the research say we can we do
about it?
A bat and a ball cost £1.10The bat costs £1 more than the ballHow much does the ball cost?
Key facts about unconscious (implicit) bias
• Our brains use two information processing systems, which operate simultaneously (Kahneman, 2011):
Conscious: effortful, slow, rule-driven and limited in resources
Unconscious: automatic, fast, intuitively-driven and with large resources
• We categorise people and add value to those categories (Tajfel & Turner, 1979)
• Biases become fixed within the neural networks of the brain and are accessed automatically (Bodenhausen and McCrae, 1998)
• Implicit biases develop and are maintained from our upbringing, our experiences and from the media we absorb
• Being biased is part of who we are; we are all biased and have a bias blind spot (Pronin, 2002), but beware (Duguid & Thomas –Hunt, 2015)
• Biases are easily triggered under cognitive or emotional load
• Unconscious bias impacts recruiting decisions
Key facts about unconscious (implicit) biasWhat does bias mean for me?
The Good the Bad and the Ugly
What’s in a name?
6.3cm = £2,940 Male 6.3cm = £1,130 Female
1 SD = £210 Male1 SD = £1,890 Female
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
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Age N=1758 Asian/White N=485 Disability N=1505 Women with Children N=424 Gay/Heterosexual N=566
LOW MID ELEVATED HIGH
Recent live data sample: Implicitly
Measures unconscious bias based on the ‘fault lines’ in group interactions:
• Age• Gender • Gender leadership• Disability• Ethnic origin• Sexual orientation
Measuring unconscious bias: Implicitly
Possible uses for bias testing
• To support personal development and awareness
• To audit organisations/departments and compare them
• To help identify team or group areas needing attention –often linked to customer/client/user-base
• To evaluate progress or the effects of an intervention
• To identify organisational weaknesses and differences between teams/departments
• To support screening of potential job/role applicants
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The typical challenges faced by users
• Slower progression of female staff to leadership positions
• Lower selection rates of applicants from some groups in the recruiting process
• ‘Cloning’ of existing leaders or job holders in selection or promotion decisions
• Lower performance ratings awarded for some groups of staff
• Low staff satisfaction ratings around manager-staff relationships
• Higher incidence of disciplinary action amongst some groups
• Lack of self insight, awareness or motivation amongst senior managers/leaders to address the issues
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Example users
• Police service: Improving assessor self-awareness and audit departments in response to challenges over BaME recruiting
• Law firms: Raising partner self-awareness and driving personal action planning in response to Davies report
• Academia: Supporting Athena Swan in attempts to improve female representation in STEM
• IT and Engineering: Recruiting and retaining the best talent across their global markets
• Regulators: Improving effectiveness and public satisfaction with the way complaints are investigated
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Top Tips as an individual and as a leader
Tip Example
Review paperwork and processes
Invest in the decision, remove names from CVs, use balanced panels, formalise the process of PM, allocating work and assembling teams, use de-biasing checklists
Watch for triggers Recognise when you are rushed, stressed, anxious, tired or hungry when making decisions
Extend your networks Work with a wider group of people, find out something new about people you work with, take up network invitations
Avoid reinforcing biases Avoid and challenge the ‘banter’, change your newspaper, delete pejorative feeds on social media, be an overt ally
Use exemplars and role models
Actively remember high performers and their positive contributions to the organisation, recall people you admire
Get tested We would say this!
Unconscious bias top tips
Top Tips as an individual and as a leader
Tip Example
Hold people accountable Ask people what they are doing to support D&I, set objectives in performance plans, politely question decisions
Measure it Know the key metrics and be proactive in following up on them, be inquisitive about the data, reframe the problem
Talk about it and walk that talk Talk about UB and the D&I the business case when you can, attend key staff network events and mingle, be one of the overt allies, and don’t ruin it all in an off-guarded moment
Be proactive Get briefed by staff networks and take up their invitations, mentor and sponsor people who are less like you
Develop ownership Appoint champions, make it clear D&I is a key part ofyour job and others jobs, not just a HR job.
Unconscious bias top tips
Implicitly
An introduction to unconscious bias testing
Dr Pete Jones: [email protected]
To try, train in or purchase Implicitly: [email protected] 797 920
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