Workplace Bias is a Fact: How not to run a meritocracy (and 3 ways to try)

It’s counter-intuitive that if we don’t think we are biased, we probably are! But when you realize that bias is natural and that we all have it, then it makes sense that being aware of your bias is the best way to counter-act it. We love this advice from Dana on how to think about bias and work to limit it’s impact in your workplace. ~InPower Editors

(Another) Open Letter to Corporate Leadership:

Do you run a meritocracy? Does your company promote only the best and brightest? Is your hiring process color- and gender-blind?

If you said yes to any of the above, the chances are that your company is none of those things. Why? Because our biases towards hiring people who look and think like you over those who don’t are documented, unconscious and most prevalent in those who deny they have them. In fact research shows that:

“Meritocratic” reward systems like pay-for-performance and billable hours may seem equitable, they paradoxically increase gender inequality. One study found that managers in explicit meritocracies were less likely to award pay fairly and more apt to act on biases, such as by giving women smaller bonuses.” – Harvard Business Review

Don’t get upset, though; this certainly doesn’t mean you’re a sexist or a racist. It just means that you’re human and living in the 21^st century.

But just because a non-diverse leadership team isn’t your fault, this doesn’t mean it’s not your problem.

Your biases, and the biases of your company’s current leadership may be quickly backing you into a corner when it comes to leadership development for the next wave of leaders who will move the company forward.

In a previous post, I described how women are the canaries in the coal mine for corporate leadership development. As women are leaving corporate America to start new businesses at one-and-a-half times the rate of men, these birds are flying out the entrance of your mine, and the millennials (who share similar values) may soon begin to follow them. They’re leaving companies like yours right and left for entrepreneurial endeavors in search of meaningful work and quality of life, and they’re taking their talent with them.

You need to recognize that this isn’t because you’re bad (you’re not necessarily a sexist, remember?) or because they’re going off to have kids (65% of mothers work, as compared to 63% of all men). In fact, the glass ceiling isn’t something that’s being “done to” women anymore; it’s the impact of unconscious leadership biases, which generally makes women believe (often correctly) that the only way up is to play a game they can’t win and aren’t particularly interested in to begin with.

So what can you do to combat your own unconscious bias, and the bias of those making hiring decisions?

First, accept that bias exists

This isn’t going to toss you into a lawsuit, it’s going to help you seek and find employee practices that reward true talent instead of unconscious bias, which may have you rewarding underperforming men as much as 63% of the time.

Second, institute bias-countering procedures

Which have been shown to help reduce bias, such as:

• hiring panels that counter individual biases
• parent-friendly employee policies such as flexible/remote work options
• manage employees to goals and results instead of time spent in the office
• implement transparent and equitable pay polices and practices
• support mentorship programs designed to help leaders grow beyond their biases and stop passing on outdated tropes that perpetuate unequal workplaces

Third, begin a conversation with your employees

Talk to both sexes to understand what’s important to them and how your leadership culture can evolve to share those values and make your company a place where the truly talented want to climb the ladder.

This isn’t rocket science, it’s simply a sincere effort to counter-act the unconscious tendencies we all have to reinforce our culture’s stereotype of a “good leader.” It can be done. You can do it.

The good news is that, based on what the research says about the number of companies doing a good job at this (barely 20%), if you do a decent job at it, you’ll be a more competitive employer and attract a more talented and resilient workforce.

So, my questions is, why wouldn’t you confront your bias to reduce employee turnover, increase employee engagement and establish a true meritocracy?

Updated. Originally published August 2016