HR Works (E62): How Can HR Combat Unconscious Bias?

Following protests and a firestorm of controversy after two black men were arrested inside a Philadelphia Starbucks, the coffee purveyor closed its U.S.-based retail stores and corporate offices on May 29 to provide racial-bias training to its workforce. Incidents such as this one, as well as similar issues that have since involved LA Fitness, AirBnB, and a Pennsylvania golf course, reveal that hidden, unconscious, and systemic bias are costly issues that employers cannot ignore. While most workplaces have clear anti-discrimination and anti-harassment policies in place, unconscious bias can nonetheless creep in and damage workplace culture, productivity, and even retention. How does this happen? And what can HR do about it? Here to provide some insights is Patricia Pope, a recognized subject matter expert with over four decades of knowledge and experience in diversity, inclusion, and culture change.