The Tribune

Greater attention has been placed on creating harmony in the workplace and the wider community, as companies are seeing the wisdom in treating people who are different with respect and acceptance. Creating a bias-free workplace requires a deliberate effort from senior executives and employees in both policy and actions.

The principal advantage is that employees feel their work environment is a safe one, free from unfair treatment, discrimination and harassment. No one wants to work in a space where they are being judged or marginalised. Companies that take seriously protecting the rights of employees enjoy an enhanced business reputation, high job satisfaction among employees, and a low exposure to legal claims arising from unfair employment practices.

Here are some of the steps that companies can take to create a harmonious, bias-free workplace:

1 Conduct honest internal assessments and focus groups to identify areas of bias in the workplace. List the areas in your company where you believe bias currently exists, or areas subject to biased attitudes from employees and supervisors.

Assess everything from your employment practices to your customer services policies. Look at the composition of your customer base to determine if you are offering products and services that complement or serve the diverse needs of your customers.

2 Examine your company’s recruitment and selection processes. Review your processes from an applicant’s point of view.

Determine if your application process is too complex for applicants whose computer and technology proficiency may be relatively low. Give applicants the option of a traditional paper application, if possible, or provide an address for applicants to submit a hard copy cover letter and resume.

3 Evaluate your leadership training and employee development programmes. Include training for supervisors on how to minimise and eliminate bias in assessing employee performance.

Provide examples of supervisor bias within the context of your performance management system. Hold supervisors accountable for conducting performance appraisals in as objective a manner as possible. People typically follow the precedents established by leaders. Managers must consistently demonstrate the right behaviours to be modelled.

1. Develop training for employees on how to prevent bias from creeping into their interactions, as well as how to recognise and report biased behaviour.

Incorporate training on non-discrimination laws, and expand the definition of personal characteristics, underlying distinctions that create biased attitudes. For example, look beyond characteristics such as race, colour, sex, national origin and religion, and include class, generation, sexual orientation, language, work style and personality as additional factors that create differences among employees and customers.

5 Check your physical surroundings for working conditions that suggest employer bias based on position or status.

For example, maintain working conditions for front-line employees that are just as comfortable as the working conditions for executives. If executives and high-level managers have access to the executive dining room, provide an employee cafeteria that all employees can use.

If all men (and women) are created equal, then our business practices must reflect this each day.

• NB: Ian R. Ferguson is a talent management and organisational development consultant, having completed graduate studies with regional and international universities. He has served organsations, both locally and globally, providing relevant solutions to their business growth and development issues. He may be contacted at tcconsultants@coralwave.com.