What you need to know

• 75% of baby boomers still assume a CEO is male; Millenniels show a 50-50 split, according to People2People recruitment.
• Healthcare, technology and industrial businesses are especially blokey, according to a Break the Bias report from We Are Unity. 
• Diverse companies outperform their peers on financial metrics.
• But companies still struggle to stamp gender bias out of the company nomenclature.
• Recognising the problem is necessary, but not sufficient to driving change, says Korn Ferry's Bridget Gray.

The most diverse companies outperform their peers financially, according to McKinsey & Co's years-long study into ethnic and gender diversity, and yet the language business uses in day-to-day communications often mitigates against the best outcomes.

Recognising unconscious bias is necessary but insufficient when addressing the consequences on diversity, and ultimately on business performance, says one of Australia's leading executive recruiters in the technology sector, Korn Ferry's Senior Client Director, Bridget Gray.

The issue of unconscious bias is especially acute in three sectors; a new report, Break the Bias, from business performance consultancy, We Are Unity, shows healthcare is the worst performer for gender-biased language - 79 per cent compared with the ASX average of 71 per cent. The IT sector, along with industrial businesses were almost as bad for the blokey disposition of its discourse at 75 per cent respectively.  

By contrast, the utilities, energy, and financial sectors were better performers in the use of gender-balanced language, demonstrating lower levels of implicit bias with 61, 62, and 64 per cent, respectively.

That bias is reflective of a wider community, which at least according to one survey seems to be changing for the better. A poll by another recrutiment company, People2People Recruitment, found that three in four baby boomers still think of a CEO as male; Gen X (67 per cent) and Gen Y (33 per cent) are closing the gap while millennials have an equally balanced perspective. The survey also found 4 in 10 of those respondents said they experienced gender discrimination during an interview process over the past two years.

According to Korn Ferry's Gray, while companies will often try and train unconscious bias out of their teams, it is often not enough to change the behaviours, attitudes and interactions within a company.

"Educating people on the damaging impacts and consequences of unaddressed unconscious bias is undeniably important, however harnessing that realisation through behavioural and structural inclusion are critical components that must be applied," she said.

Higher levels of accountability along with structural changes to operations and policies are more likely to drive sustainable change.

"It is commonly accepted that most people are susceptible to some form of unconscious bias from time to time, but that can be unhelpful unless that awareness is coupled with practical ways that each of us as individuals can evolve our work practices, attitudes and interactions with colleagues and customers to be more equitable and inclusive."

Leadership matters

Echoing the results of the Break the Bias study, Gray says leaders need to be thoughtful in their communications including how they communicate, lead and articulate roles. When it comes to people and talent matters. the communications needs to be gender neutral in nature. 

"When I think to some of the most powerful change agents addressing unconscious bias in their organisations, they are not only the ones who are role modelling and empowering their people to take ownership for their actions but they are also giving feedback and calling out any incidents that occur real time."

Gray says one of the best things leaders can do is help their people develop counter-bias capabilities. These include the skills, competencies, tools and techniques that turn that awareness into what Gray calls the moment-to-moment actions that help them make better decisions based on an understanding and appreciation of difference, not erroneous assumptions.

"Employees deserve to feel a sense of belonging and attachment to their employers, trusting in a leader to operate a zero tolerance policy to bias, unconscious or otherwise, will drive a culture that is informed, aware and a safer place to be, " she said.