What is Unconscious Bias Training?
In this article, you will gain an understanding of:
What is Unconscious Bias?
Unconscious bias is a subliminal mental shortcut that your brain takes when processing information. It's the backstage coach guiding your actions and decisions without you being completely aware of it.
These biases are deeply rooted in our upbringing, culture, and experiences, and they influence how we perceive and interact with people, places, or situations.
Think of it as your mind's backstage crew, silently categorizing and sorting the world around you based on previous scripts—scripts that you didn't necessarily write yourself.
Even the most self-aware and socially conscious among us can't fully escape the grasp of these invisible inclinations. They might influence everything from hiring choices to interpersonal interactions, and can be a stumbling block on the path to genuine diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Unconscious vs. Implicit vs. Subconscious BIAS
The terms unconscious bias, implicit bias and subconscious bias are often used interchangeably.
Where did these three terms come from?
Unconscious Bias
This is the most common terminology when describing bias. It operates under your cognitive radar, making snap judgments based on pre-loaded societal programming.
It's not something you're actively aware of, yet it can affect your actions, from selecting a job candidate to perceiving a threat.
Implicit Bias
Often used interchangeably with unconscious bias, implicit bias leans more towards the scientific terminology, stemming from the 1995 research from psychologists Mahzarin Banaji and Anthony Greenwald.
This is the bias that psychological assessments like the Implicit Association Test aim to unearth. Similar to unconscious bias, implicit bias often manifests in subtle micro-behaviors and affects your actions in influential ways.
Subconscious Bias
While similar to the other two, this school of thought comes from Freudian terminology and tends to encompass a broader range of cognitive processes.
Subconscious bias could include not just biases against groups of people, but also internalized ideas about oneself—like self-limiting beliefs.
Consider this the wide-angle lens on the camera of your mind, capturing not just how you see others but also how you see yourself.
What’s the Difference Between Implicit Bias and Explicit Bias?
Implicit Bias
Imagine a magician subtly manipulating the audience's perception without them even knowing it.
Implicit bias is like that magician, quietly influencing your actions and attitudes from behind the curtain of your consciousness.
This type of bias is involuntary and often escapes your active awareness.
Explicit Bias
This is the flashy celebrity type bias that wears no mask and carries a loudspeaker. Unlike its implicit counterpart, explicit bias is fully conscious, deliberate, and often intentionally expressed.
It’s the billboard on the highway of your thoughts, unabashedly showcasing biases for everyone to see.
Top 10 Most Common Types of Unconscious Biases
Affinity Bias
The tendency to favor individuals who resemble oneself in terms of background, hobbies, or experiences.
Example: A hiring manager unconsciously prefers candidates from their own alma mater.
2. Confirmation Bias
The inclination to seek and focus on evidence that supports existing beliefs while ignoring contradicting information.
Example: Team members overlook consistent tardiness from a colleague they otherwise admire.
3. Halo Effect
When a single positive trait unfairly enhances overall perception of an individual.
Example: An employee who excels in one project is wrongly assumed to be competent in all areas.
4. Horns Effect
The opposite of Halo Effect, where one negative characteristic unduly affects the overall perception of someone.
Example: A minor mistake in a presentation leads colleagues to question an individual’s competence in other areas.
5. Attribution Bias
The habit of attributing one's own success to skill but another person's success to external circumstances.
Example: An employee thinks their own promotion was skill-based but a colleague's promotion was due to favoritism.
6. Gender Bias
Favoring one gender over the other, typically seen in opportunities, wage disparities, and task assignments.
Example: Suggestions from one gender are more readily accepted in meetings than those from the opposite gender.
7. Ageism
Discrimination or stereotyping based on age, impacting both younger and older workers.
Example: Older employees are not considered for technology roles because of perceived lack of experience.
8. Conformity Bias
The inclination to align opinions and choices with those of the group, particularly when they express strong beliefs.
Example: During peer evaluations, one alters their initial positive assessment after hearing negative feedback from others.
9. Beauty Bias
The tendency to associate physical attractiveness with competence and success.
Example: In hiring, more weight is given to candidates who are conventionally attractive.
10. Name Bias
Discrimination based on the perceived ethnicity or background suggested by a person’s name.
Example: Resumes with unfamiliar or foreign-sounding names are less likely to get callbacks.
How to Address Unconscious Bias at Work
There is a simple 3-step strategy for mitigating unconscious bias in professional spaces. It's a multidimensional approach that operates at both systemic and individual levels.
Identify Present-Day Biases
First and foremost, you can't fix what you don't know. This means leveraging data analytics to identify areas where unconscious bias might be lurking.
For instance, pay equity audits can reveal gender-based disparities, while diversity metrics can shed light on the representation of minority groups.
Check out the Harvard Implicit Association Test (IAT) to help individuals identify their own unconscious biases.
2. Rectify Systemic Bias
Unconscious bias often gets hardwired into workplace policies. This could range from hiring practices that inadvertently favor a particular demographic to performance evaluations that rely on subjective judgments.
Organizations need to critically assess and then overhaul policies that sustain such biases.
Two great resources available:
Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) provides templates and best practices for policy revision.
CultureAlly’s Free DEI Policy Guide that helps you take a deeper dive into how your policies affect your workplace.
3. Educate & Grow
Training programs can equip employees with the skills to recognize and counteract unconscious bias.
However, these should not be one-off interventions but rather, ongoing education initiatives. Interactive workshops, storytelling, and real-world simulations can make the educational experience impactful.
Take a look at:
Lean In’s 50 Ways to Fight Bias is a card-based activity and digital experience that highlights 50 specific examples of gender bias in the workplace and offers research-backed recommendations for what to do.
CultureAlly offers Unconscious Bias training in live-learning sessions, workshops and e-learning modules. See details below.
By combining data-driven insights, policy reengineering, and investing in education, organizations can make strides in reducing unconscious bias, thereby enriching both their cultural mosaic and bottom line.
What is Unconscious Bias Training?
Unconscious bias training is a form of education designed to help people identify and understand their own deep-seated, often unintentional prejudices that influence their behavior and decision-making.
The training provides tools and strategies to recognize these biases in real-time, aiming to create more equitable environments in the workplace and beyond.
It serves as a catalyst for personal reflection and systemic change, encouraging individuals to challenge their preconceptions and be more mindful in their interactions with others.
Unconscious Bias Training Outcomes & Deliverables
Recognizing what bias is, when it occurs, and the different types of bias that exist.
How biases create disproportionate societal impacts.
How to recognize and mitigate your own biases in the workplace and in everyday life
Intended Participants for Unconscious Bias Training
Unconscious Bias Training is considered FOUNDATIONAL TRAINING because:
Everyone has unconscious biases and is made to reach broad and diverse audiences.
Bias affects how we treat others, making training important to improve both personal and professional relationships.
No previous training or courses are needed when learning about bias and benefits everyone involved.
Comparing Unconscious Bias Training Methods
Unconscious Bias Workshop
Overview: Traditional in-person workplace session
Group Size: Limited capacity, best for small groups
Duration: Half or full day workshops
Cost: Starts at $10,000 and can range to $50,000+ for well-known speakers
Online Unconscious Bias Training
Overview: Popular in small hybrid/remote teams and large companies
Group Size: Unlimited participants, good for sharing recording for future learning
Duration: One to two hour sessions
Cost: Ranges from $2,500 - $5,000 depending on customization needed
Unconscious Bias e-Learning Course
Overview: Module based self paced learning, often with compliance component
Group Size: Individual education that can be scaled as organization requires
Duration: 1 month course individually or 1 year as part of other training
Cost: From $1 / user per month
