UNBIAS

CHAPTER 11Unconscious Bias at Work

When companies say they would like to take action to deal with unconscious bias at work, they're usually referring to their recruiting and hiring process. Recruiters and talent acquisition professionals bear the brunt of the scrutiny when it comes to increasing diversity in the workplace. I've spoken with CEOs, directors of talent acquisition, human resource professionals, as well as individual recruiters and hiring managers, and what I have found is a disconnect between the goal of achieving diversity and the plan for getting there.

There is a misconception that if a company does not have a diverse employee population, it is because recruiters have been unable to identify diverse talent. Company leaders are quick to lay the blame at the feet of recruiters or on the diverse individuals themselves, by saying they aren't sufficiently qualified to apply.

The Most Qualified May Not Be the Right Candidate

It is common to hear hiring managers state they simply want to hire the most qualified person for the job. That statement, on its face, sounds so innocent and factual. Who doesn't want to hire the most qualified person for the job? However, that statement presupposes a number of things.

First, saying you want to hire the most qualified person for the job, but you systematically hire a white male every single time. This implies you really believe that every time, in every instance, for every job opening, a white male has been the best and most ...