Manage HR Magazine | Wednesday, July 28, 2021
Companies prosper when there is a shared sense of purpose and mission - rather than assuming that everyone is on the same page, it might be beneficial to purposefully connect personal and corporate goals.
FREMONT, CA: On the surface, promoting diversity and inclusivity in the workplace appears to be a legitimate goal.
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However, taking actual actions to address bias can be surprisingly challenging, especially if it is concealed or unconscious. However, there are opportunities to dive deep and unearth prejudice, as well as simple strategies to ensure one is creating a fair and pleasant workplace for all employees, from recruitment to day-to-day management to crisis mediation.
Make Goals
Nobody wants to create an unjust workplace, yet many HR departments believe that good intentions are sufficient. Bias flourishes when it is unconscious and unquestioned. Thus raising awareness is the first step in addressing it in the workplace.
Companies prosper when there is a shared sense of purpose and mission - rather than assuming that everyone is on the same page, it might be beneficial to purposefully connect personal and corporate goals. Employees will feel more supported if they know their organization is open and committed to equality.
Utilizing Psychometrics
Federal law prohibits discrimination based on gender, age, ethnicity, race, and other factors. Nonetheless, there is a strong human desire to put people into groups and treat them based on previous notions.
In reality, people only notice when they purposefully test these assumptions.
Bias is most visible during the employment process, and forward-thinking companies can improve fairness by committing to a “blind” hiring procedure. Certain tools and technologies, for example, allow one to anonymize CVs, and one can utilize a standardized interview process or psychometric evaluations or skills tests to focus on raw ability rather than demographics.
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