Why bias is a no-no in the workplace
Bias is a part of life, something that will inevitably crop up from time to time. Everyone has it inside them, and this is pretty normal. However, when it’s brought to the workplace, this can lead to challenges that would affect your workforce, business decisions, productivity and overall performance.
To know more about the negative effects of bias and why should avoid them, here are some reasons why bias is a no-no in the workplace.
It affects the hiring process
Having bias in the workplace can adversely affect the hiring process. A recruitment officer with uncontrolled biases may overlook and bypass talented individuals that would perfectly fit and benefit the company. This happens when biases take over and affect interview results and hiring procedure outcomes. Because of these biases, your business may miss out on talented and skilled people who would have been able to help you run your business and contribute largely to your business’ growth and success.
It hinders development
Another direct effect of bias in the workplace is that it hinders development. This greatly contributes to decisions in choosing who gets promoted and who gets trained or developed. Deliberately or unwittingly, this not only hinders growth but also destroys your business’ culture. If this does not get controlled, you’ll be looking at a company that would eventually become one dimensional and stagnant. If you want your business to grow, you’ll need to develop people and accept new ideas and insights different from what you’re used to.
It disrupts harmony
Biases in the workplace lead to disagreements, and in worst case scenarios, hatred among colleagues. This is probably every business owner’s nightmare. You want your staff to work in a harmonious manner as a cohesive unit. But with disagreements and issues rooting from biases, this harmony will be short lived. Jealousy and hatred have no place in the workplace. This affects every worker’s performance and productivity. If this is not controlled, you can lose employees who are actually assets to the company. Salary is not the only factor why employees stay in a company; work environment and culture play a big role as well. Nobody wants negativity in the workplace.
It can lead to legal issues
Some biases may lead to discrimination which then becomes a big headache for your growing business. Discrimination in the workplace is a serious offense and may lead to legal action against your company. This disrupts business operations and even cause you financial losses. A business owner may also be held liable for not preventing a hostile working environment. This is why most businesses push for diversity. This is to ensure that even if employees have a different set of beliefs, cultures, and bias, these different views are respected and are not taken against them in any way.
One way to keep your business as diverse as possible and control or limit biases in the office is to hire virtual assistants through staffing agencies. This way, you allow your business to receive input from different cultures and beliefs. This also opens new perspectives in connection with your business’ growth and opportunities.
Hiring a virtual assistant also means that they’ll be working remotely. This eliminates biases in the workplace as your staff will not be confined to one location. Ultimately, choosing remote staffing allows your business to look at what matters most in terms of results and performance.
