Performance bias is based on deep rooted—and incorrect—assumptions about women's and men's abilities. Affinity Bias Affinity bias is the unconscious bias to get along with, and like people who are similar to ourselves. Attribution bias. Affinity bias in the workplace. 1. This article will discuss some of the major types of unconscious biases that are observed in workplaces. Here are four of the primary biases that can have an impact on how you lead your team and the decisions you make. And we tend to avoid and even dislike . Affinity bias is the tendency for people to connect with others who share similar interests, experiences, and backgrounds. This video is part of the 50 Ways to Fight Bias program. When we treat someone more favourably, just because they are similar to us or those we like, this is known as affinity bias. Employees feel injustice in the workplace where these type of behaviors are practiced. This is the practice of relying on your emotional response rather than facts when making a decision. This is called affinity bias. Performance Bias. Also known as similarity bias, affinity bias occurs when people favor individuals who share their interests, backgrounds, and experiences over others who don't. . On the left margin of an A4 sized piece of paper, ask your team members to write down initials of 5 people they trust deeply. The way out of affinity bias is to try our best to look at all sides of an issue before making a decision. Introduction. Enforced by the EEOC, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act protects employees who are 40 years old or older from workplace discrimination. So, when you pitch your plan to build affinity groups, stick to the facts. Lean In Circles | Groups for women Find peer support and mentorship with friends, co-worker, or neighbors. Affinity bias is when we show an inclination towards people that are similar to us in some way. This article explores the concepts of affinity bias, in-groups, and privilege in a work setting, as well as the pitfalls of failing to recognize these patterns. This could mean similar in many different ways, such as race, gender, socioeconomic background, education level, etc. Many people have lost opportunities to excel simply because they were the . We look for connections with people based on trust. Such biases often surface in the workplace when people are drawn to others who share the same hobbies or pursuits, creating an affinity bias that can affect resume-screening and career advancement. This unconscious bias can lead to a less diverse workplace if it has an influence on whether certain candidates are hired or not. For example, imagine a job recruiter saying, ''I hired her because she reminded me of my sister . AFFINITY BIAS . If this phenomenon is impacting society, then it's certainly a problem in our professional lives. Affinity bias. Affinity bias and Stereotype bias are two common forms of bias present in the workplace. Affinity bias can occur when we prefer people who share similar qualities to ourselves. Establish clear criteria in advance of making decisions (hiring, promotion, etc.) As a leader, you need to create a workplace culture that promotes employee well-being, creates opportunities for positive cross-cultural interactions, and develop policies, practices, and norms that serve as a benefit and not a barrier to embracing all cultural groups. Affinity bias is what it sounds like: we gravitate toward people like ourselves in appearance, beliefs, and background. Name Bias In the wake of global protests against racial injustice, companies and individuals have been doing more to tackle racial inequality. • Affinity Bias: a bias towards those who are similar to me. Affinity Bias. But positive change can only be achieved through a . We gravitate towards people who are like ourselves, people who are similar in appearance, beliefs, and background. Affinity bias means giving favor to candidates with a similar background (e.g., shared interests, college, religion, or social groups like sororities/fraternities). In other words, we have an affinity with them. It can also cause inefficient team-building efforts and even affect employee turnover rates . so that bias gets taken out of the decision-making process. Ethnocentrism is often accompanied by negative feelings, such as fear, hatred, or . When applied to regular workplace processes such as hiring and promoting, at its best, this bias sees successful . One of the most common situations where unconscious bias usually happens is in the workplace. Silva adds that it's crucial to think of diversity and inclusion as an active process, rather than a static, box-ticking exercise. Affinity Bias. This could be a shared background, characteristics, hobbies, or anything else. Affinity bias means that you are not making hiring decisions based on skills. Affinity bias, also known as similarity bias, is the tendency people have to connect with others who share similar interests, experiences and backgrounds. Types of Bias #5: Affinity Bias. Or, a candidate may be selected over others because "I could . Dr. Hellen Turnbull, a global TEDx speaker, throws light upon this. 1. Hold decision-makers accountable, including yourself. Affinity bias is what it sounds like. The studies all point to bias as the major cause of these hidden barriers. This is usually justified as a 'culture fit' hire. Affinity bias can occur when we prefer people who share similar qualities to ourselves. Both affinity and confirmation bias can negatively impact a workplace investigation. Here's a 40 minute exercise you can do with your teams to begin to raise awareness of what affinity bias is, and how it might affect the workplace - beginning with the team itself. For example, when someone is mistaken for being part of the service staff, or when they are constantly being interrupted during meetings . A Cautionary Tale from "HardNoggin Industries". Make sure employees understand the company values diversity, inclusion, and . In recruiting specifically, unconscious bias and affinity bias often express themselves as a preference for one candidate or another because of " culture fit .". Affinity bias can influence a recruitment decision when the decision is to recruit . (Timebox 5 minutes.) "'Diversity and inclusion' has been misconstrued as an adjective, when it's really a verb," she says. Consider inclusion an active process. A female colleague raises a good point in a meeting with her male and female colleagues. These self-limiting choices create barriers to inclusion in teams and across the organization. If someone is from the town, city, same cultural background, same language, same interests, etc, then we are more likely to gravitate towards that and those people. Tall men in business may find unconscious bias to work in their favor. Acknowledging that we all have these biases is the first step in preventing them from interfering with your investigation. In hiring this often means referring or selecting a candidate who shares our same race or gender . Affinity bias. Affinity bias is the concept that we naturally feel more comfortable around people who are more like us than others. You may end up with echo chambers that . Affinity Bias. Affinity Bias: Also known as similarity bias, affinity bias refers to the tendency to connect with like-minded people who share similar backgrounds, experiences and interests . The affinity bias, also known as the similarity bias, is the tendency for people to connect with others who share similar backgrounds, experiences and interests. Moving forward about the types of unconscious bias, we are starting with "Affinity Bias". Affinity Bias occurs when we gravitate to people like us and create a sense of familiarity. How to Avoid: Affinity bias can be avoided by ensuring that the workplace is a diverse environment. That may be accurate, but it is only one piece of the story. (2) Tightrope: A . Affinity bias, which causes people to develop deeper work and trust relationships Affinity Bias. We all have a tendency to surround ourselves with similar people - people like us. Once aware of any biases, you can take steps to own your personal biases, reflect on your behaviours and introduce steps to reduce and eliminate bias from your actions. With time, this can lead to a weaker workforce, as people with skills may be rejected from the hiring process. Attribution Bias . This is tending to be more receptive to people who resemble our lives is some way. 4. It's possible, however, to interrupt bias. Affinity bias in the workplace. 1. 3. Affinity bias in the workplace: When companies hire for 'culture fit,' they are likely falling prey to affinity bias. Affinity bias relates to the predisposition we all have to favour people who remind us of ourselves. Ethnocentrism. Affinity bias is people's natural preference to associate with, advance the interests of, and coach and mentor people who . Unconscious Bias refers to quick opinions, social stereotypes or unsupported judgements individuals form about certain groups of people outside their own conscious awareness under influences such as our background, experiences and environment conditions. Spoiler - but buy-in from your leadership team is the first step for every DEI initiative. The most effective strategies for combatting women's systematic discrimination in the medical profession is to directly confront the affinity and gender biases (Kramer & Harris, 2019) that underlie this discrimination. Similarity bias is just one type of unconscious bias, which refers to the tendency to form opinions of people based on experiences or preconceived notions without logical reasoning. The saying " First impression is the last impression " is a very good example of an unconscious biased thought. Unconscious bias is arguably the most dangerous form of bias as it . AFFINITY BIAS Because of affinity bias, we often gravitate toward people like ourselves—and may avoid or even dislike people who are different. If biases prevail, then your organization will struggle to embrace diversity. We tend to underestimate women's performance, and overestimate men's. What you can do: If you're on a review committee and a colleague argues . Set expectations. Reducing the causes mentioned above will not only reduce bias, but also improve your company culture overall, making it a safer, happier workplace for every employee. Consider including diverse perspectives in the hiring process to combat this implicit bias and make your workplace more inclusive. You may be thinking "oh the boss maybe didn't hear her!" but more often than not this can come down to unconscious gender bias. Recommendation #1: Programs should conduct virtual interviews for all applicants (including local applicants) for the 2022-23 cycle. The tendency to behave like those around us rather than using personal judgement. As a result, diverse candidates may feel undervalued and neglected, which can foster an unhappy and resentful workplace culture. Affinity bias can sometimes be in play when an organisation recruits someone they like and know will get along with the team. While unconscious bias is a normal part of being human, each person has a responsibility to . Similarities can include any shared commonality, including everything, from likes, dislikes or appearance, to schooling or career history. There are five main ways that bias shows up in the workplace. 1. Conformity Bias Confirmation Bias The tendency to seek information that confirms pre-existing beliefs or assumptions LeanIn Report 2017 How does each level of culture handle bias? Silva adds that it's crucial to think of diversity and inclusion as an active process, rather than a static, box-ticking exercise. Fifty-eight percent of Fortune 500 CEOs are just shy of six feet tall, while only 14.5 percent of the male population . Stereotype bias operates when we live up, or down, to the . So it's about constant learning, changing and being able to adapt." 3. Moreover, their reaction can go as far as. Employers that . Affinity bias plays out in several ways in the workplace. In the latter case, it can be emotionally taxing. Prioritize Mental Health. 5. . Affinity bias in the workplace: When companies hire for " culture fit, " they are likely falling prey to affinity bias. Simply being aware of unconscious bias can immediately start to reduce our reliance on generalizations or stereotypes. To minimize unconscious bias in your organization, minimize the risk factors. In fact, unconscious bias can have a big impact on people-related decisions at work, especially when it comes to recruitment, promotion, performance management and idea generation. Affinity can be defined in one of the following three ways by Merriam Webster. Resumes may be selected because of a shared alma mater, or because of an unconscious bias to one name over another. Tackling Unconscious Bias In The Workplace. Ambiguity Bias. When bias is prevalent, your organisation will struggle to hire diverse teams, and efforts to improve workplace inclusion will be of limited success. . Here's a quick overview of a few types. It is said that not all minds are alike and hence, we all have some preference when it comes to our choice of a workplace, our colleagues, and friends. Avoid groupthink. Also referred to as like-likes-like, this bias relates to your tendency to incline towards similar people. Attribution bias . . Begin by using relevant terminology. Affinity Bias refers to our unconscious tendency to get along with others who are like us—people who went to the same college, grew up in the same town, have similar backgrounds, similar interests, or similar hobbies. When it's left unsolved, unconscious bias may significantly affect the workplace by hindering the hiring process. Affinity bias — having a more favorable opinion of someone like us — is one of the most common. 1. 16 Types of Unconscious Bias in the Workplace . This means that during the hiring process, companies should aim to hire a diverse staff to promote diversity. decreased productivity and high turnover), they may not know the true cost of bias. And we may avoid or even dislike people who are different from us. We all have a predisposition towards affinity bias, regardless of our race . Also called like-likes-like, this bias refers to our tendency to gravitate toward people similar to ourselves. Yet even mild forms of ingroup bias threaten integration and harmonious intergroup relations at work. The degrading effects of favoritism and affinity bias are numerous. Mentors say they're attracted to protégés who remind them of themselves.170 And hiring managers are more likely Recommendation #3: Programs should share their interviewing plans with applicants clearly . 3 cognitive biases perpetuating racism at work - and how to overcome them. When leaders hire the wrong people, they incur a range of direct and indirect costs. Let employees know that you are prioritizing bias mitigation. Our friends at HardNoggin Industries are trying to solve a serious problem. 4. She is subsequently ignored. The tendency to favor those who are most like us at work can lead to discrimination in the office. Affinity bias is prevalent in many organizations. Affinity bias . Affinity bias. It is an unspoken preference for people who share attributes or perspectives with ourselves or someone we know. Affinity Bias Affinity bias leads us to favor people who we feel we have a connection or similarity to. Affinity bias in the workplace: When companies hire for 'culture fit,' they are likely falling prey to . How Confirmation Bias Impacts the Workplace. Affinity bias is widespread in the workplace. There are many types of unconscious bias that can arise in the workplace. We are fundamentally biased to favour people similar to us and biased against those that are different. The Emotional Effect of Unconscious Bias . GPA Bias In many cases, for new graduates, their basis of getting hired is hitting a grade point average or GPA. Besides, you must evaluate your reasoning before making a final decision. Affinity bias occurs when we gravitate towards people who are like ourselves. Unconscious bias not only hampers others but also our decision-making process. The first step is awareness. Affinity Bias. Step 1: Get buy-in from your leadership team. 1. In addition, the following tips may help: Consider your interviewee prior to the . In this type of bias, people favour those similar to themselves. But it turns out that a specific kind of unconscious (and thus unintentional) bias plays the biggest role. When hiring teams meet someone they like and who they know will get along with the team, it's more often than not because that person shares similar interests, experiences and backgrounds, which is not helping your team grow and diversify. 11. Or can be deep-rooted in gender and racial stereotypes that negatively label and group people based on assumption, rather than treating them like individuals. The anchoring bias is a dangerous interpretation of the first impression being the last impression. Change systems, not individuals. Affinity Bias. First, cut down on excessive competition. Affinity bias, also known as similarity bias, is the tendency people have to connect with others who share similar interests, experiences and backgrounds. For example: Gender bias - The tendency to think positively or negatively about an individual based on gender. A few of the known unconscious biases that directly impact the workplace include: Affinity bias: The tendency to warm up to people like ourselves. Preventing Implicit Bias in a Workplace Investigation. "You might listen to one particular person who has a completely different perspective to the next ten Aboriginal people you meet. When selecting someone for a project, we may choose a person based on this bias rather than their experience or ability. Affinity bias (also known as similarity bias) occurs when we treat people more favourably, simply because they are like us or others we like. Affinity bias means some applicants could face discrimination based on factors such as age, gender, sexuality, race, and ethnicity during the hiring process and miss out on opportunities in the workplace. Affinity bias. Here are 5 common affinity bias examples in job descriptions: 1. The following is an excerpt from their new book, "It's Not You, It's the Workplace: Women's Conflict at Work and the Bias That Built It." In it, they describe how affinity bias can lead to stalled . Attribution bias correlates people's actions to unrelated (or even untrue) characteristics. Affinity bias. Because a lot of . For example, attending the same college, growing up in the same town, or reminding us of ourselves or someone we know and like. Image: Unsplash/Christina @ wocintechchat.com. Affinity bias, also known as similarity bias, is a psychological term that refers to a person's tendency to prefer or have an affinity for people with whom they have a lot in common. Find compelling and concrete evidence that supports your conclusion rather than relying on a feeling or assumption. Affinity bias is also known as the similarity bias and refers to the tendency to favor people who share similar interests . This unconscious bias manifests in the workplace as people only hiring and promoting people who share the same race, gender, age, culture, or educational background. First, "a feeling of closeness and understanding that someone has for another person because of their similar qualities, ideas, or interests." Second, "a liking for or an attraction to something.' And, third, "a quality that makes people or things suited to each other." It happens unconsciously, meaning people don't realize they're doing it. 1. Becoming a more inclusive workplace overall can help shift the culture away from one that breeds affinity bias. If it doesn't come from the top-down, ultimately, it won't work! 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