Category: Unconscious Bias

Racial Microaggressions

2/28/2017

"Where are you from?"
                                                 "Scarborough"

"No, where are you really from?"
                                                                                                "Markham and Sheppard"

"No, where are you really, really from?"
                                                                                                 "52 Green Apple Way. Why?"

I used to think that it was my Scarborough accent that gave me away. And wondered why people who grow up in different parts of the City of Toronto had different accents…. and then I realized what they were really asking me. Despite having come to Canada when I was four and spending my entire life in Toronto, the message -- intentional or not -- is that I am not Canadian. Because of my skin colour, I'm a foreigner.

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From Theory to Practice (Part 2): Unconscious Bias in the Workplace

4/23/2016

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In my last blog post, I introduced you to unconscious bias. This time let's take a closer look at its impact in the workplace.

As I discussed in the last post, we all have biases. And these biases can't be parked at the door when we come to work. They impact our interactions with clients as well as co-workers, subordinates, and leaders. As a result, unconscious biases impact the success of individuals throughout their careers. For equity-seeking groups (i.e., women, racialized and Aboriginal employees, persons with disabilities, newcomers, LGBTQ) the result is lower pay, higher rates of under-employment and higher unemployment even when they have the same levels of education.

Unconscious bias operates in subtle but damaging ways throughout the organization. If left unchecked, they can also undermine an organization's equity and diversity efforts and help to shape an organizational culture that is exclusive rather than inclusive.

Even small negative or positive biases have a cumulative effect over one's lifetime. Positive biases support some people to be successful while negative biases undermine the success of others. The result can be large differences in power and position over one's career.

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From Theory to Practice (Part 1): Understanding the Impact of Unconscious Bias

4/3/2016

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Over the past decade, research into unconscious bias has impacted our understanding of workplace equity, diversity and inclusion programs. This research has helped us understand the extent to which unconscious biases permeate society and contribute to the challenges organizations face in achieving workplace equity, diversity and inclusion. Unconscious biases also impact the design and delivery of appropriate services to a diverse population that supports equitable outcomes for all service users.

The research shows that in order to create more inclusive organizations, while it is important to change structures (e.g., policies, practices), it is also important for employees to reflect on their own biases and how they impact interactions with colleagues and clients.

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Author

Tana Turner is Principal of Turner Consulting Group Inc. She has over 25 years of experience in the area of equity, diversity and inclusion.

Follow Tana on Twitter @DiversityMusing

Racial Microaggressions

From Theory to Practice (Part 2): Unconscious Bias in the Workplace

From Theory to Practice (Part 1): Understanding the Impact of Unconscious Bias

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