Elizabeth Willetts is the Founder of Investing in Women – a female-empowering job board and community helping family-friendly AND forward-thinking employers hire professionals looking for fulfilling flexible and part-time work. She is an experienced Recruiter with over 17 years of experience – both in-house at one of the Big 4 and from one of the UK’s largest recruitment agencies. Elizabeth is also a mum to two daughters – Emily and Annabelle (and a Labradoodle called Dougal). She is a passionate believer in the power of part-time and flexible work to retain women in the workplace and close the gender pay gap. Her debut book, Flex – a dynamic guide for anyone wanting to build a successful career ― on their terms is due out in January 2025.
“We’ll offer the role to the lady in her 40s rather than the 30-year-old, please. We’re just worried the 30-year-old might get pregnant.”
These were the words uttered to me by a client when confirming which candidate they would like to make a job offer to.
And no – it wasn’t in the 1950s, but in 2009 when I worked for a leading Recruitment Agency and was helping a Mayfair-based Hedge Fund recruit an Accountant for their team.
And yes – this may have been 15 years ago, but unfortunately, discrimination in the workplace still exists – much of it because of biases we all hold (unconscious or otherwise).
So, what is unconscious bias?
Unconscious biases are those sneaky, snap judgements we make about people without even realising it. We all have them. They’re like the mental shortcuts our brains use to quickly make sense of the world around us. They occur when people favour those who look like them, share the same social background, or even support the same football team. Any superficial shared attribute can create a bias, often unknowingly.
This would have been handy in prehistoric times when figuring out quickly if the person in front of us was a friend or foe could mean life or death. But in today’s complex, multicultural world, these quick judgments based on someone’s age, race, or any number of other characteristics are often completely misinformed. They can lead to unfairness in everything from who gets hired to who gets promoted.
Biases aren’t malicious most of the time; they’re simply our brains trying to manage an overload of social information by organising people into groups based on social conditioning or previous experience. Unfortunately, when left unchecked, these subconscious labels can have serious professional and personal consequences, perpetuating inequality and stifling diversity and innovation in the workplace. They can significantly affect recruitment, retention, and career advancement opportunities, inadvertently harming those who do not fit the subconscious prototype held by decision-makers, as well as harming the companies that they lead.
By understanding that these biases are a universal human condition – we all carry them, we can begin to address their impact and work towards more conscious, deliberate decision-making. This way, we can leave those outdated instincts in the past where they belong and create a more inclusive future.
How does unconscious bias affect the workplace?
Unconscious bias can significantly impact how talent and performance are judged in the workplace – who gets hired, climbs the career ladder, and gets those golden opportunities for professional growth? Quite often, these decisions aren’t just about who’s best for the job, but they’re influenced by the personal biases held by those decision-makers who might not even be aware they’re holding them. This can lead to a workplace that’s not just too samey but also lacking that rich mix of skills and perspectives that all successful companies need to thrive.
Like with my Mayfair accountant, biases in recruitment and promotion processes can, in particular, hinder women’s and ethnic minority’s progress. A US-based study found that applicants with names suggesting they were white got 50% more callbacks from employers than those whose names indicated they were Black. A Yale University study found that science faculty rated male applicants as more competent and hireable than identical female applicants. And almost half of recruiters think those over 57 are too old to hire. The result is that many older candidates try to hide their age on their CVs. These studies highlight just how detrimental biases can be on individuals who don’t fit an ‘ideal’ type.
However, innovation and creativity suffer when everyone on the team thinks alike because they’re from similar backgrounds and have the same perspectives. Diverse teams bring varied ideas and ways of solving problems to the table, sparking creativity and better reflecting the needs of a diverse customer base.
Plus, if unconscious bias runs unchecked, it can sour the workplace culture. It creates a space where not everyone feels valued or believes they have a fair shot at success. This can reduce employee morale and engagement, increase costly staff turnover, and ultimately harm an organisation’s performance, profit, and brand.
Companies must get serious about rooting out unconscious biases to build a workplace that truly welcomes everyone and innovation thrives. This means taking a hard look at HR practices—from hiring to promotions and performance reviews—to make sure they’re truly fair and based on merit.
What steps can firms use to mitigate unconscious bias in their recruitment, retention and promotion processes?
Getting a handle on unconscious bias isn’t just about admitting it exists—it’s about actively working collectively to ensure everyone is respected, can have their perspectives heard, and has a fair shot at success. Here’s how many forward-thinking organisations have been levelling the playing field and tackling unconscious bias in their own businesses:
What Doesn’t Get Measured Doesn’t Get Done!
Start with the basics: measure who’s getting hired, who’s climbing the ladder, and who’s getting the pay rises. This isn’t just about having data; it’s about knowing where the gaps are and just how wide they might be. Once you’ve got the stats, you can see the real scope of the challenge—where you’re nailing it and where you need to up your game, helping you to focus on initiatives that will really move the needle!
Blind CVs
Asking recruiters to remove names, addresses, and even university details from CVs and applications sharpens the focus purely on skills and experience. This ensures that initial decisions are made based on what really matters—can they do the job?
Diverse Shortlists
Mix it up! Make sure your candidate shortlists reflect the big wide world. This means proactively reaching out and encouraging candidates from underrepresented groups to apply. It’s about widening the talent pool and ensuring that opportunities aren’t just circulating within the same old networks. You could even take this one step further and guarantee an interview for those demographics you particularly want to reach or make it a requirement that a job offer can only be made if someone from a particular demographic makes the interview shortlist.
Diverse Interview Panels
Who asks the questions matters just as much as who answers them. A varied or gender-balanced interview panel means a richer perspective on each candidate’s potential. Different viewpoints can challenge biases that might otherwise slip through unnoticed. It also proves more attractive to candidates if they can see diversity in action!
Staff Training
Knowledge is power, right? Therefore, it is crucial to train staff on unconscious bias and how it can manifest itself in their day-to-day decisions. Equip your team with the know-how to spot and check these biases in themselves and others, turning them into advocates for fairness.
Targeting Performance Bonuses to Diverse Teams
Put your money where your mouth is—literally. Structuring bonuses around diversity and teamwork celebrates those who meet their targets and enrich the team dynamic. Salesforce is one such firm that links executive pay to DEI goals. Since February 2022, a portion of Salesforce’s executive variable pay has been determined by four ESG measures—such as increasing the percentage of underrepresented employees in the U.S. and abroad. If you’re serious about creating a more inclusive and fairer workplace, this is one way to focus the team.
These steps aren’t just about ticking boxes; they’re about creating a vibrant, innovative place where everyone’s potential can shine.
Conclusion
Tackling unconscious bias in recruitment, retention, and career advancement isn’t just a moral obligation; it’s a
business imperative. Firms that succeed in creating a more balanced and representative workforce will reap the benefits of a broader range of ideas, perspectives, and problem-solving abilities. This enhances innovation and creativity and better reflects the company’s brand and reputation. Ultimately, addressing unconscious bias allows firms to truly say they are meritocratic, promoting a culture where everyone has the opportunity to succeed based on their talent and performance. And what employee doesn’t want that?