14 Common Types of Biases in the Workplace
Whether we realize it or not, we all have biases that influence how we perceive and interact with others.
Unfortunately, when it comes to the workplace, biases can make it more difficult for certain employees to be hired, to advance their careers, or to feel like they are a part of an inclusive and productive team. To minimize biases, many organizations rely on HR consulting companies for professional insights. Their expertise can guide you on many workplae nuances.
Here are the common types of biases in the workplace that need to be recognized and addressed by both employers and employees.
Type #1: Gender bias
Let’s start with gender bias, which is discrimination based on the gender of an individual. Imagine a situation in which a man and a woman are both applying for the same position and equally qualified.
An employer with a gender bias will not think twice before hiring a man just because they consider men as being more qualified than women.
Type #2: Age bias
Age bias, also called ageism, is all about making judgements based on the age of an individual. It can take many forms, leading to discrimination against older or younger employees.
For example, an employer with age bias could judge that younger employees are unreliable and prefer hiring only older employees because they assume they have more wisdom.
Type #3: Name bias
Name bias is about attaching certain stereotypes, clichés, and connotations to an individual’s first or last name. This type of workplace bias often targets employees who have unusual names or who belong to a specific ethnicity.
Hiding the names of candidates from applications is a simple way to address name bias.
Type #4: Beauty bias
Some types of workplace biases relate to the appearance of an individual. Beauty bias, for example, can make it more likely that an employee who is perceived as being attractive will get job offers and promotions.
On the other hand, employees seen as less attractive could be assumed to be more serious, disciplined, and reliable.
Type #5: Weight bias
Among the types of workplace biases related to physical appearance, weight bias relates to an individual’s body weight.
Judging someone on whether they are too fat or too thin leads to discrimination, stereotypes, and unfair treatment.
Type #6: Height bias
As for height bias, it can be about assuming that taller individuals are better leaders, more skilled, and deserving of promotions than short individuals.
Of course, this type of bias negatively affects short people and can make it more difficult for them to advance their careers.
Type #7: Nonverbal bias
Nonverbal bias is judging an individual based on body language and how they look, act, and walk.
For example, a hiring manager could assume a candidate would not be a good fit for a position because they have a weak handshake.
Type #8: Perceptual bias
Similarly, a perceptual bias means an individual will be judged simply because of physical characteristics.
For example, an employer could have a bad opinion of a candidate just because they have a physical disability or because they believe some stereotypes regarding the colour of their skin.
Type #9: Attribution bias
Attribution bias relates to attributing specific traits or behaviours to an individual based only on prior observations.
For example, if a new employee shows up late for their first few days of work, their coworkers might assume that this employee is lazy, unmotivated, and disorganized.
Type #10:. Affinity bias
Of course, there is nothing wrong with bonding with someone who shares your interests. But in the workplace, this can lead to affinity bias.
When employees connect with similar interests, experiences, and backgrounds, they might exclude their colleagues who are different from them. Affinity bias could also lead an employer to favour employees who share their interests while treating others unfairly because they have different interests.
Type #11: Confirmation bias
Confirmation bias is the tendency to seek information that supports or aligns with someone’s beliefs and principles while ignoring contradictory information.
Confirmation bias can have different negative effects in the workplace. For example, it can make it difficult for employees to evaluate data objectively.
Type #12: Performance bias
Performance bias is about overestimating, or underestimating, the skills and capabilities of an individual based only on their performance on a specific task.
For example, if an employee struggles with their current project, their colleagues could assume that this employee will perform poorly on all their future projects.
Type #13: Halo bias
The halo bias, or halo effect, leads someone to build a positive impression of an individual based on an impressive quality that they might have.
For example, an employer who puts one of their employees on a pedestal might decide that this employee doesn’t need constructive feedback.
Type #14: Authority bias
Finally, authority bias is the tendency to assume that individuals in a position of authority are always right and to rely on their opinions automatically.