Workplace Evils

PREJUDICE, DISCRIMINATION, STEREOTYPING AND BIASTHE BLIND SPOT

Lately, we have been talking so much about 'Quiet Quitting', 'Moon-lighting', and 'Great-Resignation'. And one would generally connect all of them with employee burnout, work boredom and even a lack of work-life balance But how did we miss, the apex of all concern'Most employees leave their companies because of their managers, peers and teams' What is it that goes so wrong?

We often use the terms, Bias, Discrimination | Stereotyping, and Prejudice interchangeably. Yes, they might stem from each other; for example, discrimination stems from biases or ignorance. When we fear or misunderstand someone who is different from us, we treat them differently. But they are not the same.

Humans have their reflexes on anything and everything And these preconceived notions can be seen in various forms in the workplace

Sometimes you want people who are like you Sometimes, you pre-think that just because a student is from a Tier-I school, he will most likely be better at doing the job than any other candidate

How many times right before an interview have you felt content to see your interviewer's surname? Wow! He comes from my native place! You think this will give you an edge over another candidate Apart from the fact that is a horrible mindset, one cannot deny that it is natural to think this way and natural to most, even if they don't willingly accept it

Indians are known to be hard-working, taskmasters and if they can't do something, they will simply, 'Jugaad' Well, this very fact worked for the best for Indians, with the never-ending list of top CEOs all over, but one cannot neglect the mentality it has created among employers about Indians Give them more work, because they will do it no matter what This shows the subtle existence of blinded prejudices people have for others everywhere.

And then there is office gossip. Somebody behaved in some way with someone else and now all of us have formed an opinion that he is not worth any talk about. This, despite 'that somebody' has been nothing but good to you.

And Halo Effect? Imagine, just because you don't have good communication skills, your boss thinks that you are not good at data analysis. Sensible enough?

'Ingroup Preference Biases' wherein people tend to group themselves into groups and attribute positive attributes to their own group only thereby isolating others.

Discrimination- Starting from age (he's old, and might not be agile or tech-savvy), disability discrimination and sexual orientation are the most prominent. Also, what is with this question where women are asked about their 'marriage plan'? Too personal a decision?

The impact on people working in an environment where such practices exist:

Low self-esteem, constant questioning of self-worth

Isolation, anxiousness, depression

Low productivity, bad performance

Increase in staff churn rates

Constant dilemma of how to not choose to let other people's words affect oneself

Questioning one's own beliefs and thoughts

How to solve this problem consciously?

As a boss, manager, or recruiter, in any moment of confusion, ask yourself to catch these phrases in your mind If yes, immediately caution yourself that your blind spot is activated.

"I am not sure I can see myself getting a coffee with him "

"I just feel like this person would really fit in " "He only stayed in his roles for two years each " "I can't just imagine presenting well with that accent in front of the clients "

"I went to the same school, if I fit well here so will she"

"She is too...(direct/aggressive/quiet).."

Take cues. Stop yourself, step back and think through if your rationale behind asking such a question is right.

Bring Inclusion

Embracing everyone's different traits, while supporting and respecting them all equally.

Create A Safe Space

A place where people can express themselves and participate without fear, criticism, or denial of their experiences.