Workplace biases are back in the national conversation, thanks to the recent memo by a Google employee. The memo’s author challenges the company’s diversity policies, arguing that psychological differences between men and women explain why fewer women work in tech.
He also minimizes the effect that unconscious biases have on women in the workplace. Even though most of us believe that we value others equally and don’t discriminate, research shows that our unconscious beliefs show up in our actions. (For more, click here.)
How have you seen the concept of implicit bias influence your workplace? Which of the examples cited most impacted your understanding of the way it can play out in your organization?
I can see the concept of implicit bias in my agency, although not blatantly, but in circumstance when a female is not chosen for a particular position when it is thought to be a typical male dominated position. Reasons are not necessarily given, but are implied that she would need additional time off to care for children or her family, or would not work as long or put enough effort into a project thereby diminishing their effectiveness at work. Males are most often in the top positions in the agency and are seen as dominant, particularly in a law enforcement agency.
By removing names from resumes, or papers, using applicant Smith, or authored by Johnson, SA. It perhaps would remove some of the initial bias that may be present.