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Most of us know that limiting prejudice offers moral benefits, but

research also shows that there’s a business case to be made for it.
Three years ago, a report from consulting firm McKinsey and Co.
found that ethnically diverse companies financially outperform more
homogenous ones by 35 per cent. And a study conducted last year
by Forbes suggests diverse teams make better business decisions
up to 87 per cent of the time. As a result of surveys like these, many
companies have expressed a desire to create such groups but aren’t
quite sure where, or how, to start.

One way organizations can limit the influence of prejudice is by

tweaking hiring practices, says Elizabeth Hirsh, an associate
professor of sociology at the University of British Columbia.
Reviewing resumes with names omitted limits gender and racial bias,
she suggests. And conducting interviews as a team—the most
balanced group possible—is crucial. “One committee member could
be tasked with watching for diversity and inclusion,” Hirsh suggests.
She says this makes bringing up the topic less awkward.

Applying similar strategies to other institutions—schools, private

clubs and neighbourhood associations—can go a long way to
developing a more equal society. One youth-focused program in the
U.S., called Anytown, demonstrates the impact of discrimination by
letting teenage students see what it’s like to have a physical disability
for a day—navigating the world with a blindfold or wearing mittens to
limit the use of their hands. More broadly, school boards can
incorporate a variety of cultural activities into their curriculum and
ensure the parents’ committee has an ethnic makeup that reflects the
students it serves.
“People in workplaces are now recognizing that bias is a systemic,
embedded problem,” Hirsh says. “That’s where there’s some hope for
the future.” Although she’s right that the problem of prejudice isn’t
necessarily the struggle of an individual alone, eac