Unconscious Bias: A Spotter's Guide Video

[Presenter] Hello, and welcome to Bias Watch, the show where we try to spot unconscious biases in their natural environment.

First of all, unconscious biases are everywhere. We all have them, even if we don't like to acknowledge them. Second, they're entirely natural. We're genetically hardwired to make rapid assumptions about people and situations to help us make quick decisions. Thirdly, they can take many different forms. So follow me as we try to spot some of the most common ones out there.

Now we have a classic case of Overconfidence Bias. This happens when someone overestimates how much they know or understand about a situation, ignores or fails to look for information that challenges their assumptions, or becomes complacent on the back of previous successes. Overconfidence can lead to poor decisions, missed deadlines, and even costly mistakes. Now shhh... let's move on.

Ah, now over there, we've got Affinity Bias, a preference to work with and listen to people most like ourselves. This can lead to a lack of diversity or even discrimination, as well as missed opportunities to innovate, develop, and grow. Keep an eye out for affinity bias during the recruitment process, and in meetings too.

Recency Bias means we place more emphasis on recent behavior or events, positive or negative, rather than judging a situation or employee performance as a whole. Watch out for recency bias at appraisal time, where it often rears its head.

And finally, there's the Halo Effect, where our overall impression of an individual influences how we judge their specific traits. We often associate the halo effect with attractiveness or a celebrity, but it's also the most common bias in performance appraisals, which can lead to a more favorable or more harsh rating than the employee actually deserves.

So now you've seen unconscious biases in action. How can you keep them at bay? Here's four simple steps.

Step One: Acknowledge Your Own Biases. The online Implicit Association Test can help you do this.

Step Two: Keep an Open Mind. And don't let yourself be influenced by other people's prejudices.

Step Three: Mind Your Language. Consider whether any terms you use might perpetuate bias stereotyping.

Step Four: Check for These Unconscious Biases... every time you recruit, appraise an individual, or need to make an important decision.

That's all from Bias Watch. Remember, a diversity of background and opinion can deliver better results.