Places Where Implicit Biases Show Up at Work

         Implicit biases are weaved into the very fabric of your organization–your systems, policies, procedures, and protocols. However, the fact that they are implicit is why you might not know that they are there. According to Project Implicit, “Implicit bias is an automatic reaction we have towards other people. These attitudes and stereotypes can negatively impact our understanding, actions, and decision-making” (https://www.projectimplicit.net/). In this article, I will name three places where implicit biases can show up in your organization. 

Employee Evaluations

Implicit biases can show up in employee evaluations. Actions based on implicit biases can happen when employees are not evaluated objectively on their work and when there is no equitable evaluation process. Project Implicit reminds us that there are many types of bias. There is gender bias, race bias, weight bias, age bias, disability bias, and sexual orientation bias, to name a few that they test on their site. I would also add national origin bias to that list. If one person is conducting the evaluation, they will need to check their preferences and ensure that those biases do not appear in the assessment. Implicit biases can often lead to negative evaluations that are hurtful to the staff. A suggestion is to have multiple people conduct the evaluations and make sure that the process is equitable. Also, make sure that employees always have a chance to give their input and have enough time to respond to their evaluations. 

Project Management

Project management is another area where implicit biases can show up. In project management, assigning projects is often a quick process, and those quick decisions are often based on implicit biases that can lead to negative outcomes, misunderstanding, and favoritism. Quickly assigning projects can also overlook talented staff. Make sure that you are not assigning projects to the same staff, look for ways to slow down the process, and get input from other people. You can also move to a more invitational process of asking staff if they are interested in working on the project and why. Also, focus on building diverse teams to manage projects. 

Recognitions  

Celebrations, compliments, and encouragement can be made based on implicit biases, especially from the employer’s position. Recognition is one of the situations where implicit biases hide. Still, the staff is paying attention to this, either consciously or subconsciously, and it can lead to more biases if it is not done equitably. It is important to establish an equitable recognition process. 

For each of these areas, it is important that employers and employees do the work of uncovering their implicit biases. There are ways to uncover implicit biases. One way is to have an audit done at your organization. Another way is for individuals to assess for bias. Project Implicit has fifteen different tests that you can take to test for bias. Implicit biases can show up in many parts of your organization. Now is the time to do the work to uncover them and make changes in your organization. 

Tests for Implicit Bias:https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/takeatest.html

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