The excellent news is managers want to be more inclusive. The not-so-good news is they don’t know-how. Managers are not given the proper tools to alleviate the problems created by implicit biases. Emerging research confirms there are two small yet more powerful means managers can use to prevent discrimination:
Closely examine and broaden definitions of success
Ask what each person contributes to their teams
During the hiring, assessing, or endorsing of employees, we measure people alongside our implicit assumptions of what aptitude looks like, our masked patterns of success. These patterns favor one group more than others, despite each group being equally probable of success. We must challenge the assumptions behind our conventions of what success is. We should ask if the criteria used to assess applicants will guide us to select employees who will contribute to team success or replicate the status quo.
As an example, notice the hiring process. As we are interviewing an applicant, we could ask her where she attended school or share a few of her experiences. We may genuinely imagine we are gathering pertinent information that will steer us to decide dispassionately whether the individual is an excellent fit for the job. However, we are likely evaluating that person against our concealed patterns. Did the individual attend a preferred school? Are her experiences similar or dissimilar to ours? Is her persona identical to those of the other people in the group?
What is most disconcerting is managers invariably hire people who match their implicit bias of success. Now, this method may appear to be a formula for sensible decision-making. Perhaps those applicants would work better with the hiring manager and fit in with the rest of the team? Possibly.
This approach can pose severe problems. Because assuming we want to be inclusive, the method may unconsciously invite bias by granting preference to more conventional candidates or “safe bets.” In economics, that could imply believing without evidence that only MBA graduates from an elite university are likely to succeed at their jobs. Even if we apply that criteria to every applicant, it can create an implicit bias for hiring white males. It is worth noting that 60 to 70% of elite MBA programs are male and few minorities.
ABOUT JIM WOODS
Jim is president and co-founder of Woods Kovalova Group and head of the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) practice. In these roles, Jim advises clients on the intersections between DEI, talent, culture, corporate social responsibility, business strategy, and the future of work across all industries. A frequent speaker on the topics of DE&I and the future of work, he is the author of several publications shaping the national conversation around inclusion and race. Work with Jim Woods.
Outside of Woods Kovalova Group, Jim sits on numerous boards. Jim holds a B.A. and an M.S. in organizational development and human resources.