Noticing Unconscious Biases as the Key to Unlocking Women's Full Potential
The First Step is Learning That Everyone Has Biases
Unconscious bias refers to biases that are held toward a particular group, person, or thing, without conscious thought. According to Park, unconscious bias exists within every single individual, and is impossible to eradicate. This is because our brains are constantly trying to process as much information as it can, as quickly as it can.
"There are two ways in which human beings make decisions: conscious and unconscious. Unconscious decisions are very quick to process, and are what can save our lives when we find ourselves in danger. We also know that our brains are bombarded with immense amounts of information, and only a fraction of it can be processed consciously."
This "shortcut" of high-speed unconscious decision-making, however, has its downsides—namely, that it can easily lead to the wrong decisions. Our unconscious is shaped by various things, from our own experiences, to information in the media and on social media platforms, to things we were told as a child. It is rare for it to ever be questioned to see if it is correct.
"What's important is realizing we're wrong when we're wrong. We can't eliminate our biases, but we can change the responses and behaviors that go along with them."
"Blind" Orchestra Auditions
The idea of unconscious bias first came under the spotlight in the USA. According to Park, it was part of a larger concept that came to the forefront of society in the context of promoting diversity. As a country comprised of wide-ranging demographics, from race to gender to sexual orientation—all elements that can breed biases—the USA had long worked to establish diversity, and had achieved some success in the area. After a certain amount of progress, however, things seemed to stall, and it was thought that there was some major obstacle that was preventing further progress.
"Around this time, behavioral economists and psychologists were coming out with studies saying that unconscious bias was the reason behind why minorities found themselves disadvantaged and unable to flourish. The most famous of these studies is the one on orchestra auditions by Claudia Goldin, winner of the 2023 Nobel Prize in economics."
In this study, a screen was placed between the judges and the candidate so that the judges could not see them, making it a so-called "blind" audition. Using this method, the judges could not see the gender or even skin color of the candidate, and had to evaluate the candidate based solely on their performance. The result was a dramatic increase in the number of women hired to the orchestra.
"What's important here is that the judges believed, even when the screen wasn't there, that they were not being discriminatory, that they were evaluating everyone fairly. This means that when they saw a man performing, it really did sound like a higher-quality performance to them."
Blind auditions, which successfully correct unconscious bias, also increased the hiring rate of people of color. This method is now used widely, and is working to increase the diversity of orchestras around the world.
Document Screening Using CVs without Names or Photos
There are many different elements that can lead to unconscious bias even in resumes, which are essential for job-hunting. As such, hiring managers at American companies are often only able to access limited information about the candidate on their screening forms.
"Information like the candidate's photo, their gender, birth date, address, contact info, commuting time, and their spouse or dependents or lack thereof, is not necessary for the hiring manager to figure out whether the candidate is capable of doing the job. Names are also often hidden, as they can reveal a person's race or ethnicity."
These kinds of considerations have also started to be implemented in Japan over the past several years. Such efforts, Park says, do more than create a fair society and lead to individual happiness.
"Freeing ourselves from biases allows us to put the right people in the right jobs. Giving important jobs to those who are truly capable of accomplishing it is hugely advantageous to companies and organizations in general."
Japan's Largest Challenge is Bias Against Women
Park was born and raised in Tokyo, practiced Korean culture at home, studied abroad in the USA, and has worked in corporate human resource development. Having experienced three different countries, what does the diversity in Tokyo look like to Park?
"Japan's largest challenge is bias against women," points out Park. "Women, especially those who have had children, carry a heavy burden here due to the gender roles in society. More and more women are continuing to work, and yet the amount of time men spend on household chores and childcare hasn't increased by much."
In Japan, it is almost always only the woman that takes parental leave. Park believes this practice may be reinforcing the bias that women are responsible for household chores, and men are responsible for work. This can be seen in the fact that in the USA, men began to do more household chores as the number of female workers increased, in part due to the lack of a well-developed system for parental leave.
"I think it's important to encourage fathers to make more use of parental leave, and to take on household chores and childcare starting when the child is born."
Japan has a well-developed parental leave system by global standards. The TMG in particular has given the practice of taking leave for childcare the nickname of "ikugyo (parental duty)", considering it an important period of time for raising the children who will be responsible for the future of society. The goal is to promote a shift in societal mindset, thinking of parental leave not as a "break" or "vacation," but as a form of work. As these changes progress and more men, not just women, begin to take advantage of the system, this bias against women should be alleviated.
Biases also include benevolent bias (benevolent prejudice), which arises out of a desire to help the person on the receiving end. For instance, a company may transfer a woman who is raising a child to a department without business trips in an effort to be "kind," assuming that by doing so they are making her life easier. Park, however, questions the "kindness" behind these kinds of acts.
The advice she gives to companies is as follows: "Of course, it's important to be considerate. But it's impossible to know how each woman who has kids feels about childcare or their career. Maybe the woman in question wants to develop her career while also taking care of her child, or maybe she has a family member who can take on the childcare and household chores. Organizations should not assume that a woman thinks or feels a certain way just because she is a woman with a child—they need to engage in discussions with her personally."
While there are many other countries where there are few female managers and politicians, this phenomenon is particularly pronounced in Japan. According to a report by the Japan Institute for Labour Policy and Training, women account for only 12.9% of all managerial positions in Japan, less than a third than in the USA. There is a strong possibility that the bias that women are not suited for leadership positions is at work here as well.
In an effort to eliminate this tendency and realize a society that encourages participation from people of all walks of life, the TMG has established a subcommittee to study women's empowerment, is enacting relevant ordinances, and is hosting seminars to support female entrepreneurs.
"I believe that Tokyo becoming a role model for local governments and increasing the number of female business owners throughout the country, will reduce the biases against women and also lead to more female managers. Tokyo is home to the headquarters of many of Japan's major corporations, and no city in the USA has such a high concentration of human resources and capital."
Unconscious Bias Against Oneself
Biases are not just something you can have against others, but also against yourself.
"We can all have biases against ourselves as well. And in having these biases, we're robbing ourselves of opportunities."
"I'm a woman so I'm bad at science and math." "I'm a senior so I don't understand tech." These kinds of biases against yourself will increasingly limit your options in life. This can have a major impact on your career, and can significantly decrease your earning power.
"Research has shown that biases not only prevent us from seizing opportunities, but also diminish our actual abilities," says Park. This phenomenon, known as stereotype threat, was revealed in a study of Black students and female students by a social psychologist named Claude Steele. In this study, girls and boys of about equal levels of ability were made to take a test after being told that women were bad at math. The result was that the girls' scores were lower than the boys. The study also showed that when the anxiety about whether or not they were bad at a subject was eliminated, they were able to exert their full potential.
"Even I have many biases," says Park. Our brains are constantly using biases to make decisions about people and things, and will keep making mistakes, misled by unnecessary information. But if we are able to accept this fact and change our behavior, going from assumptions to dialogue with the people in question, we will be one step closer to a fairer society.
Sook Ja Park
Worked in human resource development for an American company before starting her own company in 2000, and starting her career as a diversity and work-life balance consultant. Well-versed in both American and Asian affairs, and works in corporate culture reform and education/training in the area of diversity. Currently spotlighting unconscious bias as a theme in organizational transformation.