Unconscious Bias

About this course.

Every one of us makes hundreds of quick judgements every day without realising it. Most of the time this is helpful — the brain takes shortcuts so we are not overwhelmed by decisions. But those same shortcuts can quietly shape how we see other people, often in ways we would never consciously choose. This is what we mean by unconscious bias, and it affects everybody, in every job, at every level. Recognising it is the first step towards making fairer, better decisions at work.

You will learn how the brain forms bias through shortcuts and pattern recognition, the difference between conscious and unconscious bias, common types at work — affinity (similarity) bias, confirmation bias, the halo and horns effect, stereotyping, attribution bias, conformity bias and groupthink — why unchecked bias matters and its link to the Equality Act 2010, how bias affects recruitment, performance reviews, promotion and everyday decisions, and practical debiasing strategies including structured decision-making, diverse panels and perspective-taking.