At a recent dinner party the conversation turned to work, and I listened as another guest described candidates for a senior role in her organization. "Mary is more experienced, but she has nothing in common with the rest of the team," she said. "Finding the right fit is really important in my organization, so I hired Sue, who is more like the rest of the team." Many around the table nodded in understanding, but I thought the guest may have just let her unconscious bias rob her and her organization of the best candidate. Unconscious bias is an automatic reaction. It's a subconscious preference for or against a person, thing or group. It's different from an explicit or conscious prejudice, but no less destructive. We all have these hidden biases - what's more, they've probably already affected our choices.
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