Home topics workplace Workplace Workplace How startups can address gender imbalance and remove unconscious bias Sonia Bonnici December 10, 2019 We know that unconscious bias occurs when we make quick judgements of people and situations without realising our preconceived ideas. These biases can be influenced by our background, gender, cultural environment and past experiences and whilst we might not be aware of these views, their impact can still be considerable. Recent research from Deloitte found that teams that are both cognitively and demographically diverse perform better and are more profitable. Diversity of thinking is better for creativity, innovation is enhanced by about 20 percent and decisions are easier to implement achieving buy-in and trust. Technology of course can help startups overcome unconscious bias to a degree, but as Amazon discovered, its AI recruiting tool was perpetuating the gender gap in the tech sector, not bridging it. Given only 13.5 percent of people currently working in machine learning globally are women, it’s hardly surprising AI technologies have gender and other biases built in. Despite unconscious bias being inevitable, here are five ways startups can ensure it doesn’t adversely affect your recruitment: 1. Hold a discovery workshop Before you embark on the recruitment process, facilitate a discovery workshop to identify what skill gaps currently exist in your startup. Ask yourself and your team what culture you want to continue fostering and how new hires fit into your growth plans. Examine the desired behaviours new hires will need to succeed and make sure