Are We Unconsciously Biased?
By Amitoj Khokhar
“If we do not share our stories and shine a light on inequities, things will not change.”
Ellen Pao is well recognized for filing a gender discrimination suit against her employer in 2012. Although the lawsuit was unfavourable in the end, it has motivated other women and Ellen to raise their voices against gender disparity in modern working culture.
Gender disparity, gender inequality, gender discrimination are commonplace within our current society. There is no surprise that we have grown accustomed to this trend as a woman (or other minority genders) to accept and continue the cycle of gender disparity. For centuries, society has had a preconceived mindset related to men and women (and by extension, other genders) in the workplace. When someone prioritizes what a man says or his idea, they are more likely to respond positively. It will generally carry a preconceived weight of trust and knowledge, along with confidence when speaking of the matter. Most of us have experienced this phenomenon unconsciously in our daily lives. That is why it is called unconscious bias. This unconscious bias is just a perceptive mindset that is reinforced daily by our patriarchal society.
Based on the recent report “Women in Silicon Roundabout - 2019 Report”, up to 20% of women in the tech world have acknowledged unconscious bias as one of the most common challenges faced by them. Consequently, women are significantly underrepresented in tech companies or STEM fields. In contrast to that, only recently have North American women outnumbered men in STEM education, with a noticeable increase in the admission rates. However, they are still not given equal opportunities to land good placements in the technology sector. As per another recent report (“Women in Tech: Unconscious Bias, Parity and the Path Forward”), women and other minority groups still lack strong representation in leadership or senior management roles. The system for hiring, retention, and promotions in the technology sector needs to improve as it merely stands on the foundation of the current unconscious bias system. Policymakers and stakeholders are failing both the work and education environments by worsening the gender imbalance.
Another significant effect of this phenomenon is the “Imposter Syndrome.” Or one can say imposter syndrome and unconscious bias are much like the famous chicken-and-egg paradox. Once induces the other in the current corporate and technology sectors. Imposter syndrome is a simple psychological behaviour that tends to trigger when an individual goes through a significant change in life, such as the transition phase of a new career, a promotion, a recent admission to higher education, or a substantial lifestyle change. We can overcome imposter syndrome feelings if that change is supported or filled by positive and helpful surroundings. It can be more straightforward in university STEM fields to prevent imposter syndrome; most high school graduates quickly form peer groups within their fields as students with similar interests tend to do in these specialized fields. Facing down imposter syndrome is an entirely different matter to manage within workplaces, especially when they are significantly male-dominated. The age differences, distinguished personalities and interests, all create a challenge to build a supportive space in the first few months, or sometimes even years. Generally, we accept those challenges to prove to ourselves, which may cause us to lose our purpose, resulting in underperformance or negative reviews.
If you could take just one thing from this article, it would be this: wake up, speak out, and look around your workspaces; you could be at either side of the imposter syndrome bridge. One of the most important and supportive actions is to recognize when it’s time to walk to the other side of the bridge and help someone walk to the right side. However, this mission is impossible without bringing awareness of imposter syndrome out on a public level, and it requires contribution from men equally. You can begin breaking the cycle with small practices in your workplace and personal life: talk to your coworkers, engage your supervisor or manager in friendly conversations, take the initiative to form peer groups, and don’t forget to self-monitor your unconscious mind!