Why Do We Experience Workplace Bias?

Visualize your brain as a computer that catalogs every experience and observation. It uses this information to process new situations by drawing comparisons to what it already knows, which is a time-saving strategy. For instance, upon encountering a long green object, your brain quickly identifies it as a snake, prompting you to steer clear.

When we suspect Sarah from Accounts is not being truthful about her emails, our judgment is often clouded by past experiences with individuals who exhibited similar behavior.

Types of Workplace Biases

Biases can create an uneven playing field in the workplace. Here are several prevalent forms:

#### Affinity Bias

Affinity bias manifests as a preference for individuals who share similar traits or backgrounds. For example, if I meet a woman in her sixties from southern England working in HR, I may naturally gravitate towards her.

This bias can surface when shared interests or backgrounds emerge, such as discovering that Sunil from Marketing enjoys fishing like I do.

At Work: Be cautious of how affinity bias may cloud your judgment concerning raises, promotions, or opportunities for others.

#### Anchor Bias

Anchor bias occurs when we place undue emphasis on the first piece of information we encounter, which highlights the significance of first impressions.

In real estate, for example, a high starting price can skew subsequent negotiations.

> "Anchor bias can influence hiring decisions. When a hiring manager first sees a resume from a candidate with a prestigious master's degree, this initial impression may unfairly shape their evaluation of other candidates." — Indeed Editorial Team

In salary discussions, if an organization introduces a number first, it can anchor subsequent negotiations around that figure.

At Work: Scrutinize the initial anchor and determine its relevance to the situation at hand.

#### Actor-Observer Bias

This bias reflects the tendency to judge our actions differently from those of others. We often attribute our behaviors to external circumstances while viewing others' actions as a reflection of their character.

If you've ever confronted someone about a similar mistake they made, only to be met with, "That was different," you've experienced this bias.

At Work: Recognize that while you might blame traffic for your lateness, others may perceive it as disorganization.

#### Authority Bias

Authority bias occurs when we give greater weight to the opinions of higher-ranking individuals.

In hiring scenarios, the views of a manager can overshadow those of team members. This bias can also affect how employees are perceived based on their manager's opinion of them.

At Work: As a leader, seek input from your team, as they may defer to your authority, even if it might not reflect reality.

#### Confirmation Bias

Confirmation bias leads us to notice information that supports our existing beliefs while disregarding contrary evidence.

For instance, if you perceive a colleague as hard-working, you'll focus on their overtime while overlooking their distractions during work hours.

> "Confirmation bias can distort how we store and interpret information, leading to skewed memories." — Indeed Editorial Team

This bias also influences our recollection of events; we tend to remember facts that align with our opinions while forgetting those that do not.

At Work: Reflect on your impressions and evaluate the underlying facts to identify potential confirmation bias.

#### Beauty Bias

Despite our assertions to the contrary, appearance can impact workplace dynamics. Beauty bias suggests that we assign positive attributes to individuals we find attractive.

From childhood, media has conditioned us to associate beauty with positive traits, reinforcing this bias in professional settings.

> "Studies indicate that attractive individuals are often favored in hiring and promotion processes, while those who do not conform to societal beauty standards may face discrimination." — Kosana Wier

At Work: Avoid making assumptions based on appearance; skills and abilities should take precedence over looks.

Summary

Recognizing that we all harbor biases is vital for fostering fairness and inclusivity in the workplace.

To mitigate workplace bias: - Be mindful of the various biases that may influence your decisions. - Scrutinize your thought processes for potential biases. - Focus on objective facts rather than feelings or assumptions. - Evaluate individuals based on their performance, not their reputations.

There are many other biases present in the workplace, such as gender bias and the halo effect, which will be explored in the next installment of this series. Stay tuned for more insights!

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