ILRHR527: Countering Bias in the Workplace for HR

Cornell University ILR School

Identifying Unconscious Bias

Now you will practice identifying unconscious bias by being a careful observer. You will
identify instances of when unconscious bias may be at play. You will also look for
evidence of artifacts that might be reinforcing unconscious bias.

Pay attention at team meetings, group discussions, brainstorming sessions, collaborative

work sessions, or other work-related meetings and events. Take notice of behaviors
associated with privilege and what types of people seem to have those privileges.

Behaviors Associated with Privilege

Speaking First Note your observations:

Note who talks first in a

collaborative team or group
session.

Who makes an assumption of

being the person who should
speak for the group?

Talking Over Others Note your observations:

Make a note here when anyone

gets interrupted or talked over.
Who is getting talked over? Who
is being interrupted? Who gets
the privilege of interrupting? (Or,
who gets the privilege of not
being interrupted?)

Taking Credit Note your observations:

Make a note here whenever you

notice someone taking credit for
another person’s ideas or
contributions. (This can be as
simple as a person repeating a
suggestion someone else made
as if it was an original idea.)
Who gets the privilege of taking
credit?

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 ILRHR527: Countering Bias in the Workplace for HR
Cornell University ILR School

Active Listening Note your observations:

Make a note here when you

notice people’s ideas being
taken seriously. Whose ideas
are being taken seriously? Who
is getting active listening from
others?
Notice when people are politely
letting the clock run out on what
someone is saying. Who gets
the privilege of active listening?

Getting “Extra Votes” Note your observations:

Make a note here when you

notice who gets one vote in
meetings and who gets two. In
other words, who has influence
in wrapping up the group
decision? Whose opinion
matters more?

Correcting Others Note your observations:

Correcting others becomes a

manifestation of privilege when
one person overrides someone
else who is speaking and
corrects the person or presumes
to make the person’s point for
them. Who corrects others within
meetings?

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© 2015 eCornell. All rights reserved. All other copyrights, trademarks, trade names, and logos are the sole property of their respective owners.