Pub. 8 2020 Issue 3

18 The Community Banker www.mibonline.org COUNTERING WORKPLACE BIAS By Bob Greening, Vice President, USource, United Bankers’ Bank Associate Member W hether we want to admit it or not, we all have implicit biases that affect how we live and work in the world. When most people think of bias, they probably think of an adverse action taken deliberately; however, unconscious biases can affect your behavior or decisions. Unconscious biases are often based on mistaken or incomplete information and may negatively affect your team and your organization’s bottom line. If you’re hiring based on “ gut feeling, ” your decision may be based on an unconscious (or implicit) bias. The best way to prevent yourself from succumbing to unconscious biases is to become aware of what they are, where they may pop up when recruiting, hiring and retaining employees, and how to prevent them. Similarity or Affinity Bias is the tendency of people to connect with others with similar interests, experiences, and backgrounds. When companies hire for “ culture fit, ” they could be falling prey to similarity bias. Prevention measures: Take note of any similarities you share with the candidate or employee and differentiate between attributes that may cloud your judgment. Then, concentrate on concrete skills, experiences, and unique qualities that would contribute to your team as a “ culture add ” rather than “ culture fit. ” Age Bias is discriminating against someone based on their age or an assumption of age. Prevention measures: Remove graduation dates from applica- tion forms. Realize that older workers may bring skills and experiences to the table that younger workers don’t — and vice versa. Attribution Bias creates judgment regarding a person’s behavior based on observations and interactions from your past, not necessarily with that specific person. For example, viewing others of a particular group (such as gender, race, ethnicity, etc.) as less competent, and undervaluing their ac- complishments or overvaluing their mistakes because of it. Prevention measures: Give honest, detailed feedback to every- one by tying it to concrete business goals and outcomes. Appearance Bias is when those perceived as attractive (looks, weight, height, etc.) are viewed more positively and treated more favorably. Prevention measures: Be aware of judgmental thoughts during interviews and promotional opportunities. Focus on their work, not their look. Confirmation Bias is the tendency to look for or favor infor- mation that confirms the beliefs you already hold. During the