Together, We Can Dismantle Bias—(+ Summit Event Alert!)
This is #IncreaseDiversity, a weekly newsletter series + Increase Diversity Toolbox sharing best practices for employers who want to learn how to… well, increase diversity. To see previous editions, visit JenniferTardy.com. | IG: @IncreaseDiversity | Increase Diversity - YouTube
JTC News + Events
When: September 14, 2023 | 11:00 am - 6:00 pm EST
What: Who is Qualified?: A Transformative Journey to Decode Bias in Recruitment and Retention
At this immersive summit, participants will embark on an intentional roadmap, gaining profound insights into how bias subtly infiltrates our recruitment and retention processes. Through engaging talks, interactive breakout sessions, and a thought-provoking panel session, we'll challenge conventional norms, expose hidden biases, and explore actionable steps to foster more inclusive practices. As a result, you’ll gain practical tools and techniques to revolutionize your approach to diversity recruitment and retention without causing harm or compromising on excellence.
The human brain is wired to form quick connections: rustling leaves might signal danger, a smile implies friendliness, and a sparking fire entails warmth and safety. These fast-fire associations, also known as biases, support our daily decision-making.
However, biases can be a double-edged sword. They function as automatic predispositions for or against particular people or ideas, influencing our actions subtly or overtly. If mishandled, particularly by those who most influence the outcomes of the hiring process, biases can unjustly impact the lives of individuals from historically underrepresented communities, resulting in ethical, legal, and credibility issues for workplaces. So, overlooking them is not an option.
If you’re intent on confronting your biases, you can start with these four truths:
Everyone has biases—even those who are self-proclaimed as conscious, aware or woke.
Biases can harm people, so it’s your moral, social, and legal obligation to prevent harm rather than do nothing.
Identifying and dismantling biases is an intentional act.
Tackling biases demands altering your thoughts consciously.
Great, but I’m sure I have no biases that harm people— perhaps you’re thinking.
Well, let’s try. What do you think about these well-meaning statements?
We need a strong leader for this role.
We prefer Ivy League graduates.
Our team hangs out after work—it’s our culture.
This job requires a native English speaker.
We want someone youthful with fresh ideas.
Sounds like well-intentioned business-oriented statements, right? Allow me to shed light on how these might be biases that sneak into your decision-making, which might surprise you with how pervasive they are:
We need a strong leader for this role. This statement might unconsciously propagate gender bias, as society often equates leadership with masculinity, discouraging non-male identifying applicants.
We prefer Ivy League graduates. This shows educational elitism, overlooking capable candidates who couldn’t attend elite institutions due to financial or other constraints. It also includes those who were accepted, could afford to attend and elected not to.
Our team hangs out after work—it’s our culture. This could unintentionally sideline those with personal obligations post-work, thus favoring single, younger, non care-taking individuals who can commit extra time.
This job requires a native English speaker. Unless language proficiency is essential for the job, this statement might harbor linguistic bias, excluding proficient non-native speakers.
We want someone youthful with fresh ideas. This implies age bias, wrongly assuming innovation is exclusive to youth and undervaluing the rich experience and varied insights that come with age.
Dismantling bias requires an all people on deck approach!
We keep looking at each other as the problem. It’s not the people, but the biases. These biases get in our way from making effective selection decisions.
Bias is a powerful yet elusive force that subtly influences our thoughts, actions, and decisions. It complicates the concept of “Who is Qualified?” and, when mismanaged, can cause exclusion, undermine morale, and sabotage diversity initiatives in our workplaces. Overcoming it requires constant effort, fresh viewpoints, and proactive measures. Addressing bias isn’t just about promoting diversity or acting ethically; it’s crucial to preventing harm within any group. We must recognize and actively combat bias, making our hiring and retention strategies inclusive and appealing to a wide range of candidates.
Sure, but how do you tackle these biases?
To begin with, let’s tackle the above five biases head-on with some smart, effective strategies:
Instead of focusing on generic, potentially gender-coded terms in job descriptions like “strong leader,” get specific about what you need. Prioritize terms that communicate the skills required for the job, like “effective communicator” or “proven problem-solver.” It’s all about focusing on what truly matters: the ability to get the job done. Check out my post about skills based interviewing.
Toss out the bias for Ivy League requirements. A candidate’s skills, experiences, and potential—is all it takes to answer “Who is Qualified?.” Cast a wider net and appreciate the rich, diverse perspectives that people from different educational backgrounds bring. Check out my post about the US Supreme Court decision to remove affirmative action in college admissions..
Cultivate a culture that recognizes everyone’s life outside work. Make sure after-work socializing isn’t a yardstick for measuring performance or to create access to career advancement. Encourage bonding during office hours to make everyone feel included.
Don’t let language bias creep in. Unless it’s crucial for the role, there’s no reason to prefer native English speakers over those who are proficient but have English as their second language. Embrace diversity; it might just surprise you with unexpected skills and advantages.
Ditch the age bias. Avoid terms like “youthful” from job posts. Opt instead for “innovative” or “forward-thinking.” Innovation isn’t age-dependent, and invaluable experience often comes with age.
Interested in delving deeper into these discussions?
We have exciting news for you! Team JTC is conducting a one-day Virtual Increase Diversity™ Summit Experience where we share strategies for combating bias in hiring. Uncover the truth about bias in recruitment and hiring. In this one-of-a-kind event, we’ll peel back the layers of conventional hiring and retention practices and deeply explore the impact of bias. We will explore the question, "Who is Qualified" through the pivotal hiring milestones of finding, attracting, engaging, selecting, employing, and retaining people from historically underrepresented backgrounds. Think of it as a captivating blend of Tedx and Human Resources - designed to inspire and empower.
Learning Outcomes:
1. Learners will be able to dissect the key question, “Who is Qualified?,” through the lens of bias and understand how it manifests through the six key milestones of the hiring process.
2. Learners will understand how to leverage their Lived Experience Intelligence™ to further identify and mitigate bias in hiring and retention programs.
3. Learners will learn how to effectively interpret data to answer pivotal questions such as: “Where is our representation lacking? Who progresses, who falls behind, and why? What actions should we initiate, halt, or maintain to genuinely impact diversity and retention in our workplace without causing harm?”
The Increase Diversity™ Summit is your pathway to fostering a diverse workforce that drives success. This conference is for anyone who directly hires or influences hiring, including DEI practitioners, Recruiters, Human Resource Teams, Human Resources Managers, Hiring Leaders, and Career Coaches. Register now and be a part of the change. Let’s redefine “qualified” for good.
