exploring and tackling unconscious bias - vwv€¦ · exploring and tackling unconscious bias 28...

www.vwv.co.uk | Offices in London, Watford, Bristol & BirminghamLawyers & Parliamentary Agents

Exploring and Tackling Unconscious Bias

28 June 2017Caitlin Anniss - HR Consultant

Sarah Want – HR Consultant

www.vwv.co.uk | Offices in London, Watford, Bristol & Birmingham - Lawyers & Parliamentary Agents

VWV HR Consultancy

• What is VWV HR Consultancy?• We offer commercial, creative and pragmatic HR solutions

• How can we help your Practice?• Ensuring HR Compliance• Giving you peace of mind• Saving you time

• How can you find out more?• Get in touch! We’d love to hear from you!


Summary of the session

• Key concepts from the Equality Act 2010 • Exploring unconscious bias• Tackling unconscious bias


Please vote now using your keypads

What percentage of UK FTSE 100 Board memberships are held by women?

1. less than 25%2. 26% – 50%3. 51 – 60%4. 61 – 70%5. 71 – 80%6. 80%+



Of the 1,087 director positions in the FTSE 100, what percentage is held by people who are not white?

1. less than 10%2. 11 – 20%3. 21 – 30%4. 31 – 40%5. 41 – 50%6. 50% +



Of the 67,772 Doctors on the GP register as at December 2016, what percentage are women?

1. less than 25%2. 26% – 50%3. 51 – 60%4. 61 – 70%5. 71 – 80%6. 80%+



According to NHS data for 2016, what percentage of Consultants are women?

1. less than 25%2. 26% – 50%3. 51 – 60%4. 61 – 70%5. 71 – 80%6. 80%+


The Equality Act protected characteristics

• Age• Disability• Gender re-assignment• Marriage and civil partnership• Pregnancy and maternity• Race• Religion or belief• Sex• Sexual orientation


What is unlawful?

• Direct discrimination• Indirect discrimination• Discrimination arising from disability• Failing to make reasonable adjustments• Harassment• Victimisation


Consider this

A father and son are in a car accident……


What is unconscious bias?

Unconscious bias:

‘social stereotypes about certain groups of people that individuals form outside their own conscious awareness.’

‘Our implicit people preferences, formed by our socialisation, our experiences, and by our exposure to others’ views about other groups of people’.


Thinking, fast and slow

Daniel Kahneman: Thinking, fast and slowSystem 1fast, automatic, frequent, emotional, stereotypic, subconsciousSystem 2slow, effortful, infrequent, logical, calculating, conscious



The impact of accents

Which of the following accents do you think people find the most intelligent?

1. Received pronunciation/Queen’s English2. Liverpool3. Devon4. Edinburgh


It’s with us from an early age


Self-assessment tools• The implicit association test (IAT)• Developed at Harvard University• Measures biases which we may not be aware of or we may not want to admit

having• Completed by over 14 million peopleBUT• Not universally accepted as valid and reliable• Still susceptible to faking• They don’t offer any support or feedback• Don’t measure behaviour in everyday situations


What characteristics may elicit our biases?

• Characteristics include, but are wider than the protected characteristics in the Equality Act • Characteristics + ‘knowledge’ where ‘knowledge’ = stereotypes +

assumptions + personal experiences


Assumptions and stereotypes

• Jamaican people are laid back & relaxed• Overweight people are lazy• Gay men are effeminate • Only young people use social media• Bisexual people are indecisive• Football fans are yobs• Women are poor drivers• Religious people are intolerant


Factors which may exacerbate our implicit biases

• In-groups and out-groups (affinity bias)• Confirmation bias• Social comparison bias


What’s the impact?

• Hiring in our own image• Promotion• Allocating tasks• Appraisals


What’s the impact?

• Restricting pool of talent• Not reaching full potential• Not benefiting from diverse thinking• Not representing diversity• Impact on underrepresented groups /voices


Case study


Reducing implicit biases –developing our tool-kit

• We can individually and collectively take steps to reduce our level of bias but we need to:• accept we are all biased to different degrees and• accept our individual responsibility• Mitigating the effects of the processing mechanism in the brain• Design of policies to mitigate the impact of bias


• Challenging stereotypes• Be critical of news and media stories• Follow twitter feeds and sign-up to mailing lists which provide

alternative view points• Think counter-stereotypic images• Reducing the use of context

Reducing implicit bias -developing our tool-kit


Reducing implicit bias –developing our toolkit

• Changing perception and relationship with out-group members• Meet and talk to less familiar people• Be aware of your natural people preferences


Reducing implicit bias –developing our toolkit

• Active bystander• An active bystander takes steps that can make a difference• Consider the impact of intervening• Consider the impact of not doing anything• Act now or after the event?

www.vwv.co.uk | Offices in London, Watford, Bristol & BirminghamLawyers & Parliamentary Agents

Caitlin AnnissHR [email protected] 314 526407909 683 938 Sarah WantHR [email protected] 314 536307799 136 091

exploring and tackling unconscious bias - vwv€¦ · exploring and tackling unconscious bias 28...

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