In the hustle culture that loudly takes over the corridors of modern workplaces, a silent force often shapes careers, relationships, and opportunities – ‘Bias’. It doesn’t always announce itself or over-discriminate or is very evident but lurks in subtle decisions, silent comments, assumptions, and gossip. From the conference room to lunch tables, unspoken biases influence who gets hired, who gets heard, who gets ahead, and who gets fired.
These biases that have their roots in gender, colour, age, appearance, and a host of other characteristics, are brutally obvious to those who experience them every single day at work but are rarely visible to those who support them or initiate them. These biases are often ignored in the name of ‘business as usual’ and they continue to flourish, creating partiality and hurdles that demotivate creativity and lower one’s self-esteem.
Favouritism
People naturally gravitate towards those they think of as similar to themselves, whether in terms of background, interests, or education. This bias can lead to cliques and conservatives of groups, especially in mentorship opportunities. It can also lead to missed opportunities when the one chosen might only be at the position due to favoritism whereas the one who truly deserves it might get lost in the crowd.
Ageism
Have you ever, at work felt that your input or work was better than that of a senior yet the senior is appreciated? This bias prioritises a person’s tenure over talent or performance. While experience is valuable, seniority bias can prolong innovation by overlooking fresh ideas from newer and young employees. It may also discourage high-performing individuals if promotions and opportunities are based solely on years of service rather than merit.
“I am a 26-year-old working at a marketing and management agency. We have employees who have been in the organisation for a few years and the biasness is clearly visible. The sad part is nobody even dares to question it when the rules for ‘all employees’ remain the same. This bias needs to shut down. Equality over seniority,” said Prachi, an employee based in Pune.
Ageism can affect both younger and older employees. Younger workers may be perceived as inexperienced even when they possess progressive ideas while older workers are often assumed to be resistant to change or less tech-savvy, regardless of their actual skills or performance.
Relationship status
This can be distressing to some but yes, your relationship status can also be a reason for bias at the workplace. Young or unhinged employees are often asked to ‘understand more’ and work more since another team member who is married or has kids also has to cater to their families. Whatever happened to personal space and work-life balance?
Sharing her personal experience, a 30-year-old employee said, “The only reason I wish I was married is because at least then I could have been able to leave office on time, gain sympathy, and ask for half days without counter questions. It is so unfair of the management to think that just because I do not have a partner, I have nothing important to do in my life. I want to be able to achieve my personal goals and live a life outside my workplace. Well, complaining to the HR did not work, so I am moving to a company that respects every employee’s space.”
Appearance Bias
Judging employees based on physical appearance, dress, or grooming, can lead to unfair assumptions about professionalism or capability. An employee with good dressing can be mistaken as somebody who is the face of the team when in reality they might not have the skills it takes to be the face. In contrast, someone who dresses minimally and stays lowkey might be one of the brightest minds in the organisation.
It is important to not only understand the impact of these biases at the workplace but also comprehend and work for the betterment of humanity!
Gender
No matter how advanced the world grows or the number of policies an organisation adopts, gender bias exists and it continues to shatter bold personalities and make them question their self-worth. It turns out that organisations do not trust ‘women’ to be in a position of power. Reason? Women are already entitled to multiple duties in their lives and won’t be able to focus or handle an organisation entirely, which is what most people strongly believe in even today!
