Identifying and tips to address affinity bias

https://www.aib.edu.au/blog/leadership/four-cognitive-biases-that-affect-your-leadership/ Affinity bias relates to the predisposition we all have to favor people who remind us of ourselves. When applied to regular workplace processes such as hiring and promoting, at its best, this bias sees successful people willing to give someone a chance because of their similarities. We’ve all heard or read the phrase, “You remind me of myself at that age,” and understand how that kinship can result in favorability. But in the most common occurrences of affinity bias, unfortunately, demographic minorities end up disadvantaged. Without meaning to, a leader who is Caucasian and male will be more likely to hire people who remind him of himself. Even when men consider themselves egalitarian and have no stated prejudice against other groups, studies show that affinity bias occurs. That’s because it’s happening on a subconscious level, and the hirer is not conscious of why they’re making the decisions that they are.