Mitigating Bias in the Workplace

Truly, some biased employees don’t feel shy when they try to get rid of their colleagues. They tend to do all nasty things in indirect ways or speak out bluntly in front of their colleagues. 

Here’s an example. A most eligible employee was ignored and the work that he was capable of doing was assigned to someone else. Reason? Because, the department head decided to promote the selected person who belonged to his country and culture. Well, when the department head was least concerned about someone, then he gave no opportunities for career advancement. And that employee, miserably, remained in the same position like a lamppost while others climbed the corporate ladder.

In one company, a senior software professional was fired with a short notice. His dismissal wasn’t due to cost-cutting strategy. Although, his services were very much required, but a biased group that was in power wanted to train someone, from their clan, and move him to that position. 

It’s even worse when an unfair manager hinders someone’s capabilities by moving that person to another department. It’s like making his career pathway obsolete and useless.

Even employees who are hardworking and loyal feel uncomfortable when they find hostile workplaces, rude and sly communication, too much stress due to burdening tasks, compulsive work on the weekends, isolation due to irrelevant assignments, mistreatment by their supervisors or micromanaging from their bosses. 

In absence of cross-cultural environment, employees, who belong to same community or country, tend to work in groups. They possess ‘bandwagon mentality’ meaning they follow something what others are following it.

Honestly, when a company aims for organizational collaboration and teamwork, what’s foremost is to mitigate bias in the workplace. To achieve this, take initiatives to: 

- Meet key employees from departments and take their counsel and/or feedback,

- Allow talented employees to come up with ideas and concepts to boost employee engagement,

- Spread awareness regarding bias and its complications,

- Minimize flaws and unfair practices through investigation and influence and

- Assess the organizational workflow and employee interaction in the workplace issues.

Perhaps, the only way to have a cross-cultural work environment is through engaged employees, open and frank employee communication and uncluttered team-building activities.

Definitely, it looks good when employees from diverse cultural backgrounds 

- Work together in teams

- Communicate well,

- Avoid conflicts and misunderstandings

- Exhibit good manners and

- Adapt to cross-cultural understanding.

Image by: Mohammed Abdul Jawad