The term ‘The Great Resignation,’ which was coined in 2021, became synonymous with the large number of people who left their jobs all over the world. This included many employees from groups that were not well-recognized. Even today, the most common reasons for resignation include:
- Work environments hostile
- Lack of career advancement opportunities and
- Workplace cultures are generally non-inclusive.
Bias – which is often unconscious – can be a significant contributor to workplace dynamics and decision making. What can a leader do? To foster an inclusive culture and retain talent, it is important to address bias. For a sustainable change to occur, it is important to focus on the impact of bias in the following aspects of the workplace.
- Organisational behaviours
- Include the right skills
- Supporting and enabling future leaders
Understanding and acknowledging the biases in organizational behaviours
Leaders look to their subordinates for advice, whether it is about work delivery or interpersonal relationships. Most people can easily find solutions for problems relating to the delivery of work, but when it comes to interpersonal relationships it’s much harder. It can be difficult to detect subtle biases that affect team dynamics. To understand these biases, you can start with
- Create safe zones for dialogue by creating or joining a employee resource group. Employees are encouraged to discuss their bias experiences in these safe spaces without fear of retaliation. This will allow leaders to gain insights on how bias is manifested in the workplace.
- Recognize inauthenticity and bias in leadership. Identifying and highlighting authentic role models is important at all levels. This can be done based on performance, behavior, or internal or external recognition. These individuals will feel recognized and can build relationships within the organization. Organisations can create an environment of openness and trust by promoting role models that exhibit inclusive values and behaviours.
- Measure psychological security to determine the level of comfort that team members have with one another in sharing their concerns and thoughts. Use this information to identify areas where improvement can be made. Psychological safety can be used to uncover bias as employees are less likely to speak up in biased environments. Leaders need to have emotional intelligence. They also must show vulnerability and humility in order to build trust with their team.
Impact of bias on skill recognition and performance
It is important to recognise talent in an organization. There is nothing worse than feeling overlooked! This is especially troubling when confident and highly qualified individuals are stuck in roles that do not challenge them. It is important to recognise and promote talent in an organization. This can be difficult when biases are present. Leaders can address and understand the following key areas:
- Does this person have a lot of office chores? A bias can cause certain people to take on menial or administrative tasks that are not in line with their abilities. It can be as simple as sharing the screen at meetings (even if you are not the one presenting), booking meeting rooms, or organising away-days. This is a problem if the same person continues to do these activities, even though they are not in their job description. It is important to ask employees if their work will advance their career and if it is meaningful. Leaders should also actively assess the workload to ensure a fair distribution.
- Does constructive feedback exist? It is hard to make progress or to improve without timely, actionable, feedback. Bias may influence the quality and type of feedback given, with some employees receiving more constructive criticism. The last time employees received feedback, they should be asked to rate its quality and the impact on their development. This will allow you to determine if there is room for improvement in the way feedback is provided and how to standardise processes to minimize bias.
- Does bias get in the way of your work? The perceptions you have about behaviour can be affected by bias, which leads to double standards. A woman and a man who exhibit the same assertive behavior may be viewed differently. One could be deemed “the boss”, while the other is regarded as “bossy”. These biases may have a major impact on the way a person is treated within a team. To promote transparency and understanding, it is important that leaders facilitate discussions on these biases.
Empowering future leaders
In today’s society, leadership continues to change and many people no longer accept authoritarian approaches. Leaders must focus on developing the next generation and addressing biases in leadership styles to create an inclusive workplace. It is important that future leaders are valued and recognised to help them reach their full potential and become as competitive as they can. Leaders can influence workplace culture by the way they engage and empower their team.
- Model ethical Leadership – Leaders who act in an ethical manner will be respected more than those who are found to have taken unethical action. Role models who have stood up for what they believe in without causing harm to their career or reputation will encourage employees to speak out without fear of retaliation. Speaking out against bias is part of this.
- Diversity is nothing without inclusion. – Although diversity is important for successful teams, it can’t exist without an commitment to inclusion. Leaders must actively eliminate bias in their diversity initiatives, and make sure that they are not perceived as “box-ticking”. Encourage a culture that is inclusive, such as asking for input from everyone in a meeting and encouraging your team to listen and take into account each individual’s input.
- Promote all employees Bias is often the cause of under-recognition, especially among groups that are not well-recognized. Leaders must regularly advocate for others in order to make sure that their great work is not forgotten. This advocacy sets employees up for career advancement and helps them achieve success.
The conclusion of the article is:
Leaders of organisations have the power and responsibility to eliminate bias in the workplace, which can make employees feel invisible, frustrated and undervalued. Great leaders take the time to learn about employees from different levels within an organisation, their needs, biases, and expectations. Although some workplace attrition is inevitable, it should be kept within acceptable limits and consistent across all demographics. Leaders can create a psychologically safe environment by addressing bias, and creating inclusive workplace cultures which benefit all. This will encourage diverse perspectives, and ultimately enhance organisational success.
