WHY DON T I “FIT U PREVENTING THE NEGATIVE IMPACTS OF U

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WHY DON’T I “FIT”?UNDERSTANDING AND PREVENTING THE NEGATIVE IMPACTS OF

UNCONSCIOUS BIAS, STEREOTYPES, AND MICROAGGRESSIONS IN

THE WORKPLACE

PRESENTED BY

TRACI GATEWOOD

➢ PROGRAM HANDOUTS: HTTP://ALASKA.SHRM.ORG/SLIDES

➢ BOOKMARK OUR PAGE: HTTP://ALASKA.SHRM.ORG

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Why Don’t I “Fit?”U N D E R S T A N D I N G A N D P R E V E N T I N G T H E N E G A T I V E I M P A C T S O F U N C O N S C I O U S B I A S , S T E R E O T Y P E S , A N D M I C R O A G G R E S S I O N S I N T H E W O R K P L A C E

Learning Outcomes• Understand unconscious bias and how it can lead to stereotyping

and microaggressions in the workplace.

• Identify biases that impact employee recruitment, selection, and retention.

• Recognize that commonly accepted phrases and actions are microaggressions.

• Formulate actions that can be taken to create more inclusive work environments.

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Timeline

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20202008200819901973196719641963

Equal Pay ActAge Discrimination in Employment Act

Americans with Disabilities Act

Americans with Disabilities Act--Amendments Act of 2008

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act

Rehabilitation Act Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act

Supreme court ruling protects LGBTQ individuals from discrimination

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Unconscious (AKA Hidden) Bias Defined

Negative associations that people unknowingly hold. They are expressed automatically, without conscious awareness. They can apply to anything, including:• race • personality• accent• religion• gender• education• appearance• weight

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Unconscious Bias Basics• Common &

pervasive• May not align with

declared beliefs• Tend to favor our

own in-group

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Costs Associated with BiasEmployees who perceive bias against them are:• nearly three times as likely to

be disengaged at work• more than three times as

likely to quit their jobs• 2.6 times as likely to withhold

ideas as their peers

Employee disengagement costs U.S. corporations $450 billion to $550 billion per year.

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Unconscious Bias, Stereotypes, and Preference▪ Bias is an

inclination or predisposition for or against something.

▪ Stereotypes are oversimplified ideas about a particular type of person or group of people.

▪ Preference is the act of choosing one alternative over others.

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Three Common Unconscious Biases

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Confirmation BiasInterpreting new information as confirming your existing beliefs.

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Affinity BiasBiased in favor of someone because you share something with them.

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Attribution BiasSeeing some groups such as minorities as less competent than those in the majority, which can lead to undervaluing their accomplishments and overvaluing their mistakes.

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“Unconscious bias isn’t always negative, but it is always problematic.”

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Organizational Risk Factors

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Causes of Workplace Unconscious Bias

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Employees who feel angry or disgusted, regardless of what

they’re upset about

Ambiguity

Obvious social categories or

hierarchy amongst employees

Employees who are tired, disengaged or disinterested in their

work

Decision-making situations that are

rushed, pressured, or distracted

Lack of feedback and/or accountability

when employees make decisions

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Reducing BiasWHAT CAN YOU DO?

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Unconscious Bias TrainingREQUIRE IT!

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Actionable Steps• Give every person an equal

chance to speak in meetings

• Gather as much information as possible before making a decision

• Interact with employees from different ethnic groups, genders, and ages

• Don’t make assumptions

• Act as an ally; speak up if you witness bias, harassment, discrimination or bullying in action

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Engage Hesitant Employees

Focus on empathy and business results, not on blaming and shaming!

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Don’t Play FavoritesBe objective and consistent!

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Mental HealthPrioritize it!

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Actionable Steps• Promote a healthy work/life balance by encouraging time off and

offering flexible work hours.

• Train managers to recognize employees who are struggling and how to help them.

• Including mental health treatments in your company’s benefits plan.

• Compile a list of mental health resources that all employees can access, such as crisis hotline numbers, local practitioners’ contact information, and educational information on mental health symptoms and signs.

• Organize stress-busting events, such as yoga, therapy dogs, or painting.

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Recruiting and Hiring PracticesReview and update!

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DEI GoalsDetermine, commit to, and act on them!

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MicroaggressionsWHAT ARE THEY?

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Microaggressions Defined

Everyday verbal, nonverbal, and environmental slights, snubs, or insults, whether intentional or unintentional, which communicate hostile, derogatory, or negative messages to target persons based solely upon their marginalized group membership.

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Types of MicroaggressionsMicroassaultsOvert discrimination or criticism done intentionally to discredit a marginalized group

MicroinsultsComments that communicate that the demographic group is not respected, but the target is seen as an exception to the stereotype

MicroinvalidationsComments or actions that dismiss the experiences of historically disadvantaged group members

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Age-Related Microaggression

Wrong“Are you old enough to be in charge?”

InsteadSay nothing.

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Minority-Related Microaggression

Wrong“Oh, sorry, wrong person.”

InsteadLearn your co-workers’ and employees’ names.

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Mental Health-Related Microaggression

Wrong“I think I have PTSD from that meeting.”

Instead

Use objective terms to describe concerns with meeting.

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Disability-Related Microaggression

Wrong“The way you’ve overcome your diability is so inspiring.”

Instead

Say nothing.

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Linguistic-Related Microaggression

Wrong“Your name is so hard to pronounce.”

Instead

Ask them how to pronounce it.

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Gender-Related Microaggression

Wrong“This is Bob, our male nurse, and Sarah, our female engineer.”

InsteadCommunicate about and with employees WITHOUT gender tags.

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Preventing & Addressing Microaggressions

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

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Company CultureInfluence it!

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Anti-Discrimination PoliciesCreate and update!

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Employee FeedbackSeek and encourage it!

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Respectful CommunicationTeach and require it!

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DEI Professional DevelopmentRequire it!

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Knowledge, commitment & training matter!

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Questions?

Traci Gatewood, Owner

G2 Diversified Services

G2diverse.com

traci@g2diverse.com

WHY DON’T I “FIT”?UNDERSTANDING AND PREVENTING THE NEGATIVE IMPACTS OF

UNCONSCIOUS BIAS, STEREOTYPES, AND MICROAGGRESSIONS IN

THE WORKPLACE

PRESENTED BY

TRACI GATEWOOD

➢ CERTIFICATE FOR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT CREDITS:

HTTP://WWW.ALASKA.SHRM.ORG/CERTIFICATE

➢ PROGRAM HANDOUTS: HTTP://ALASKA.SHRM.ORG/SLIDES BOOKMARK OUR PAGE HTTP://ALASKA.SHRM.ORG

➢ FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK HTTP://WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/AKSHRMSTATECOUNCIL

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