Try These Strategies to Reduce Implicit Bias in Your Workplace

Developing, Evaluating and Recognizing 
Reducing and eliminating bias does not stop once someone is hired. It's important, Ellis said, to send a strong message that your organization wants that person to be a part of the organization's success. To that end, employers should:

• Coordinate placement of diverse candidates so they are with the most-effective managers and leaders and match them with effective sponsors and mentors. Ellis pointed to PepsiCo as a good example. Company leaders there use research-based strategies to identify employees who display a high potential for leadership, are transparent in how they develop leaders, and adapt their leadership style and approach to a changing business environment.
  
• Verify equity in your reward and recognition systems.
  
• Ensure everyone has access to professional development and stretch assignments.
  

He also advocated the importance of slowing down your thinking to better understand how bias exists within your organization—and yourself. Focus on how employees are evaluated.

"We are doing so many things so fast, it's hard for us to make really good, sound decisions and include enough perspective to be fair," he said.

A supervisor may feel rushed to complete reviews and may base evaluations on how the employee most recently performed rather than on the employee's performance for the entire evaluation period. Or the supervisor and employee may perceive that performance differently. Ellis recommended centralizing and calibrating how performance is measured. Instead of an annual performance review, move to a quarterly review that is based on weekly calibrations.

In a weekly calibration, the employee identifies—and the supervisor approves—four or five tasks that will be undertaken that week. At the end of the week, the supervisor and employee assess the employee's performance. If the supervisor rates the employee's performance low on the performance scale and the employee rates himself high, Ellis said, the two need to talk about performance expectations.

Engaging and Communicating 

• Evaluate workplace flexibility options. Benefits often associated with younger workers, for example, could be equally appealing to older employees and flexible schedules for caregivers should not be limited to mothers. 
  
• Survey employees' well-being and sense of belonging so organizations can learn how to be more welcoming.
  
• Create and maintain employee affinity networks or employee resource groups.
  
• Share turnover data about your diverse employees to show key decision-makers the importance of developing employees from diverse backgrounds.
  
• Conduct "stay" interviews.
  

Be intentionally inclusive, Ellis urged conference attendees. Ask "how am I going to disrupt the unconscious bias throughout all the stages of our talent lifecycle?" and begin to recognize the need "to 'own' my own bias and create a psychologically safe environment where other people could do the same."