INCLUSIVITY SERIES: Unconscious Bias

This three-part series aims to shine a spotlight on inclusivity in organizations with real-world examples and practical takeaways for leaders to continue to develop understanding and implement change.

The concept of unconscious bias, popularized as a barrier to fair hiring practices, continues to play out every day within organizations in how we make decisions and build teams internally. Despite the availability of development, networking, sponsorship, and training programs, promotional opportunities still elude marginalized individuals. As leaders, we can make shifts in how we recognize and manage our own biases in decision-making to create a culture of inclusion where decisions are based on the merit of the opportunity, not our preconceived notions.

In an interview published in Elle Magazine in 2014, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg was asked the question—If you were going to start a women’s rights project today like the one you started at the ACLU in the '70s, what would be the issues on your agenda?—and she gave the following response: 

I think unconscious bias is one of the hardest things to get at. My favorite example is the symphony orchestra. When I was growing up, there were no women in orchestras. Auditioners thought they could tell the difference between a woman playing and a man. Some intelligent person devised a simple solution: Drop a curtain between the auditioners and the people trying out. And, lo and behold, women began to get jobs in symphony orchestras.  

While times have certainly changed for the better in Ginsburg’s lifetime, unconscious bias, as she notes, continues to permeate the professional landscape despite efforts to create more diverse and inclusive employment experiences. In fact, the well-known search engine, Indeed, is currently running a commercial in the US that alludes to this unconscious bias of promoting men over women and having to leave an organization to move up in one’s career. 

Recognizing Bias

Our biases are shaped by our experiences, culture, relationships, likes, and dislikes. What we often don’t realize is that the narrative that so often shapes our viewpoints is created by those with their own inclinations. The Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media at Mount Saint Mary’s University published a study this past October investigating gender bias in marketing on YouTube. Their research revealed stunning differences between the portrayal of women and men in the media. 

When our youngest children disproportionately see men in the boardroom and women in the kitchen, this sends a clear message reinforcing negative stereotypes about the value of women and girls in society. 

These inherent biases that we develop over time make it difficult for us to recognize and interpret information about people and we, therefore, make decisions for the wrong reasons, without all of the necessary information. As leaders, this can be detrimental to our organizations. 

Having a Dialogue  

Last year, as part of our diversity speaker series at CVS Health, one individual touched on the subject of unconscious bias and challenged those in the room to, “Open your mind to everyone.” Similarly, I’ve seen this reflected recently in several posts and comments on sources like LinkedIn. It became clear that it’s a topic on everyone’s mind and that gave me the idea to survey individuals in my network to understand if it is still something that’s happening from the perspective of those at the director level and above. 

Through the survey, I wanted to understand the connection, or lack thereof, between unconscious bias and promotional opportunities. The survey went to individuals at Fortune 1000 companies and I received approximately 150 survey responses.  

“Oftentimes, you are not free to voice your opinion based on future consequences, allowing surveys like this is the first step” —Survey participant 

What I learned was that opportunities for promotion still aren’t reaching the right people. There is still a need to leave or really fight for promotions despite having embraced opportunities within the organization for development and having received great performance reviews or feedback. We’re simply not doing enough to promote these individuals. 

Nearly 70% of respondents indicated that their organization had unconscious bias training and provided networking, development, and internal social opportunities geared towards employees from underrepresented backgrounds. Despite those opportunities, the same number said they had witnessed or experienced a person of color being overlooked for promotional opportunities. And, nearly 40% of respondents said they had left a team or company due to unconscious bias. 

“Hiring under-represented minorities is not the same as providing equitable opportunities for professional growth and advancement.” —Survey participant 

Moving the Needle 

What can we as leaders do to combat unconscious bias and create growth opportunities and upward mobility within our own organizations? 

• We have to actively create development opportunities for employees and tie those opportunities back to clear goals for growth and promotion. 
• Much of it has to do with having a supportive manager and development programs that are tied to a broader goal(s). Whether that be a promotion or shift in the scope of a person’s role, there has to be a desired outcome for someone pursuing such an opportunity. We need to create more awareness with managers about developmental opportunities and connecting those experiences to mobility.  

Only 50% of respondents indicated that their organization offered purposeful mentorship and sponsorship opportunities for diverse individuals to connect. Those that had mentorship opportunities, felt they benefited from those experiences.  

“I’ve had mentors and champions in the organization that have advocated for me and provided me with challenging assignments to foster my growth.” —Survey participant 

• We have to surround ourselves with a diversity of thought so that we can make more inclusive, informed decisions. 
• Just as employees need managers to champion their professional development, we need employees to champion ideas, perspectives, and concerns and they need a space for which to do that. That can include inviting individual contributors to provide perspective and it can include working alongside our ERGs to gain insights from larger employee populations. Innovative and inclusive organizational cultures weave this diversity of thought into their regular business operations. 

“It is both top-down and bottom-up and it takes participation from all different levels of the organization.” —Survey participant 

• We have to challenge our assumptions, expand our thinking, and exercise good judgment when managing people. 
• You’ll never fully remove unconscious biases, but you can choose to make the unconscious, conscious, and recognize how they influence your decision-making. The antidote to unconscious bias at the leadership level is to practice and hone the skills for good judgment, something all great leaders do well. Acknowledging the relationship between bias and judgment or thought and action is how we face and overcome our prejudices. 

“Leverage my role as a corporate officer and my seat at the table to create a culture of inclusion and serve as an ambassador for those who have no meaningful voice.” —Survey participant 

Unconscious bias, despite the implementation of training and continued conversation, continues to plague organizations internally. Promotional opportunities are still not being extended to marginalized individuals on an aggregate basis and we as leaders need to acknowledge that it’s happening and that we have a role and an obligation in changing the narrative. How we recognize and manage our own biases in decision-making creates a culture of inclusion where all employees can thrive, be challenged, and be rewarded. 

In the next post of this series, I’ll share ways in which we can utilize ERGs more effectively to combat our unconscious biases and drive innovation within our organizations while creating opportunities for employees to grow in their careers.  

Delve Deeper

If you’re interested in learning more about unconscious bias, explore the resources referenced in this post. I also welcome you to share others back with me for my own continued edification. 

Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg: I'm Not Going Anywhere

Jessica Weisberg for Elle Magazine 

What 2.7M YouTube ads reveal about gender bias in marketing

Geena Davis for Google 

re:Work with Google: Unbiasing 

The Elements of Good Judgment

Sir Andrew Likierman for Harvard Business Review 

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A little bit about me.

I am the head of executive search and international talent acquisition at CVS Health, a health innovation company, with oversight across the US, AMER, EMEA, APAC. I have over 20 years of experience as a diversity practitioner and executive recruiter. To learn more about CVS Health’s approach to diversity in hiring, visit the CVS Health careers website. Thank you for taking the time to read my blog post. Let’s stay in touch!