In the modern workplace, there is so much to do and many rules to follow. However, the traditional office or any work environment have maintained (not always intentionally) certain biases that conflict with the modern views in Canada. The main three biases in the work field are affinity, attribution, and confirmation biases. These biases are usually subconsciously present in the leader’s mind after years of development, yet it does not mean it cannot be changed. Leaders can overturn these biases by analysing them first, such as why they occurred in the first place. Let’s look into the three biases.
Affinity Bias
Affinity is a main aspect of a leader’s decision-making when addressing employees. The leader may favor one worker due to a shared history, from growing up, being family friends, going to the same college, etc. The bond is created through trust, and that is why you (as the leader) will emphasize these biases in certain situations. One example can be during a hiring interview, where you hire someone based on your familiarity with them, rather than a candidate who is a stranger to you, but has excellent job experience compared to the first one. This bias can stunt your company’s performance, so remember, do not let your friendliness get in the way of your position as a leader. If people found out you value workers whom you know better than others, it could damage your reputation as a trustworthy and rational boss. Keep in mind, you can be friendly with workers, but do not make others feel unliked by you, or neglected. Be respectful to everyone and try not to single workers out by making them seem more liked by you. Every employee should feel important, including the ones you do not know.
Attribution Bias
This form of bias revolves around the characteristics of the worker in question, such as their time punctuality and the way they speak to people. Some of the characteristics of individuals may be unrelated to the workplace, but the leader still puts bias into effect. For example, if a worker seems unhappy every day, the leader might not invite them to company social events, for fear they will create an unpleasant vibe. This unfair bias can be overcome by simply addressing the unhappy employee on why they usually have a frown on their face. Communicating is key importance in this situation, as you may find out they have lost a relative or another sad event has occurred. Another form of attribution bias is where we judge the achievements of lesser-known employees as luck rather than challenging work, especially when the successful employee has a history of deficient performance and failure. It is not fair to judge someone solely based on their negative aspects, and you should focus on their success, even if it rarely occurs. Positive reinforcement is one way to combat attribution bias, as well as communication.
Confirmation Bias
This form of bias is rooted deeply in a leader’s mind, based on their own beliefs. Confirmation bias tends to ignore information that opposes their set of beliefs, resulting in unfairness during work. Even worse yet, confirmation bias can affect the way a boss recalls someone or something, a ‘selective recall’ that ignores the fact and focuses on preferences. One example of this is when a leader recalls a catering service that supports the same views as your own company (politics and city management) yet has poor reviews and their food is not that great. Yet, the boss hires them for a company event, focusing on their social stance and brand, rather than their performance. Another confirmation bias is when hiring a candidate based on their ethnicity or gender; a white Male candidate might not be the best qualified person for the job, but since you (the boss) like how he looks like and his personality, you hire him and reject the more qualified woman or different racial person. This bias is rooted psychologically in the boss’s mind and has become part of their self-esteem. This is why it is difficult for someone to let go of their confirmation bias, as they do not want to feel embarrassed by being wrong.
There are ways to overcome confirmation bias. These ways include having a daily group circle with all the workers to raise awareness of this bias and prevent it. Be inclusive in hiring, letting the new candidates know what kind of role is expected from them, rather than their own past experience. Ultimately, it is up to the biased person, the leader, to overcome this unfair feeling, and they can by endorsing different cultures in the workplace. They can also meet with other leaders who used to have confirmation bias thoughts, but since have abolished them, and you can learn how. In the end, raising awareness is the best way to reduce bias in the workplace.
Babak Eslami | Writer
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