MODERN BUSINESS such as the University of Arizona , supports the view that businesses benefit from having a well-managed diversity of personnel , cultures and perspectives and that it enhances staff engagement , innovation , customer engagement and productivity .
For many migrants settling into a new country , being accepted is not that easy . , As part of our work we have met a number of migrants from different parts of the globe , enticed by excellent immigration campaigns , who find that businesses are reluctant to hire them . They have the qualifications and industry experience but are given the impression or are told that they lack relevant local experience .
In frustration and disillusionment some return back ‘ home ’ overseas , move to a different country or take jobs where their talent and skills are under-utilised . When this happens , this country is the poorer for it and much time , energy , money , hopes and dreams have been wasted .
This is a form of unconscious bias and it can happen to even the most broad-minded and forward thinking business owners . Great candidates may not even make it to the interview stage for promotion or recruitment because of unconscious assumptions and expectations about their background and qualifications , that may under-value the candidates ’ potential and ability .
Internationally , there is a growing emphasis on diversity and inclusion where the focus is on creating a more inclusive workplace culture with the business benefits this can bring . Part of this process is recognising and understanding unconscious bias . But what is unconscious bias ?
Unconscious bias can be described as an unconscious expression of the cultural lens through which we all view the world . Through their personal lens business owners , assess judge and make the myriad of large and small decisions about their businesses and the people they hire .
All of this is natural and understandable but it can mean that businesses might be missing out on the best people available and consequently the competitive benefits these people may bring to the business .
The good news is that we can make progress and leverage off this insight . By learning more about the different cultural backgrounds and values of the people we might employ and the clients we work with , business owners can improve their competitive advantage .
It is when we begin to realise the extent to which our cultural lens and our unconscious biases might be influencing our decisions that we will be more open to seeing the potential of a wider talent pool . If we can begin to recognise and understand our unconscious bias , collectively and individually , we might be able to better leverage the talent and potential of the many cultures in the workplace .
Recognising unconscious bias Many decisions business owners make about their businesses are deliberate , well considered and they are fully cognisant of the many factors that are influencing them . But equally at times , business owners may not be aware that those same influences might be unconsciously affecting their decision making processes , such as when considering someone for promotion or a ‘ stretch ’ project . Their gender or communication style may not fit a preconceived view of what makes an effective leader at the ‘ next level .’
Holona and Trish Lui Holona and Trish Lui specialise in building cross-cultural effectiveness to support high performance in teams and organisations to achieve their business goals . They design and deliver coaching and facilitation of cross-cultural communications programmes for the workplace . E : holona . lui @ catalystpacific . co . nz W : www . catalystpacific . co . nz
May 2016 ModernBusiness 39