Inclusion · HR glossary

Unconscious Bias

Unconscious bias refers to automatic assumptions or associations that can affect perception and judgement without deliberate intent. In employment, it may influence whose evidence is noticed or how behaviour is interpreted.

Example

A reviewer initially rates a familiar university more highly, then uses a structured work sample to assess actual capability across all applicants.

What to keep in mind

Awareness alone does not reliably prevent unfair decisions. Use job-relevant criteria, multiple evidence sources and process checks, while avoiding the assumption that every observed difference has the same cause.

Further reading

← Browse all HR terms