Unconscious Bias

We all have prejudices, some of which we know about, but most of them remain hidden from us, only our actions and reactions reveal them, which we often do not even realize. Stereotypes, whether readily available or acquired through experience, play an important role in everyday life. It can be a life-saver to think quickly in patterns.

However, there are times when we need a more analytical, considered decision-making mechanism rather than relying on quick gut reactions.

Hiring a sympathetic candidate who is similar to you as a colleague because you have a lot in common and have had a good conversation with them does not guarantee that you will select the best candidate for the job, in the best interests of the company. If we appoint as the next manager the person who is most similar in looks and style to the previous preferred manager, it is quite certain that we have not thought very carefully about what the job is and who would do it best.

These situations, influenced by various unconscious biases, are what we need to become aware of in order to ensure that our hidden prejudices do not work against us but with us, ensuring that we can fulfil our chosen roles and allow others to fulfil theirs; and that the roles, careers and choices imposed on us by social and economic conventions are not the only alternatives.