Unconscious bias at work can have an impact on recruitment, promotion, staff development and even staff retention. It can lead to a less diverse and inclusive workforce. In order to promote diverse and inclusive workplaces, it is essential that employees understand how unconscious bias can impact decision making at an individual and organisational level.

 

Including a wide variety of perspectives in our working lives and creating equal opportunities for everyone regardless of their identity can be challenging. Practising truly inclusive decision making is difficult due to attitudes held unconsciously that impact how individuals think about and behave towards others. As organisations face unprecedented challenges, evidence indicates that diversity enhances performance across innovation and adaptation. Diverse teams and organisations ultimately achieve greater success, enjoying increased profitability, stronger governance and better problem-solving abilities (Harvard Business Review, November 2016).

 

In this Masterclass you will explore what diversity means in a modern work environment. You will examine evidence that highlights the impact of unconscious bias in order to build a more inclusive organisation. You will explore inclusive decision-making and learn how to mitigate the harmful impact of unconscious bias.