Unconscious Bias the Job Killer

There’s been movies made on the subject of horrible bosses. I’ve written about my own bad manager. Well, the saga continues with a new wrinkle, as I experience the effects of unconscious bias.

What is unconscious bias?

Unconscious bias is what happens when without intention or conscious awareness, we make decisions about people based on values or beliefs we have had about a group of people. These values we have from our youth, maybe our family, or they are taught to us by our community or social circles.

Statistics show that minorities, and in particular female minorities, will experience harsher treatment and scrutiny from their managers as a result of unconscious bias. I know this for a fact to be true.

I had a sit down recently with human resources where I attempted to discuss being on the receiving end of unconscious bias. I’ve sat through the training on that raised awareness of having unconscious bias against others. But where is the training on what to do when you’re being subjected to decisions made by someone who exhibits unconscious bias?

I am flabbergasted at our human resources manager. I wonder what his view is like from his ivory tower? To be so disconnected from the workers reality is appalling.

I expected more from him. As a Latino and immigrant, I expected that he could take his personal experience and use that to relate to the coworkers. But instead he’s one of those minorities. The ones who as soon as they make it out of the lower caste, they disassociate with anything that reminds them of where they came from.

Questioning the source

Another thing that I don’t know if he consciously has exploited to get his job is his LGBTQ status. Was he a diversity hire? The thought is cringeworthy. His previous manager said that he was not quite ready for the role he is in now. That he was not done developing and it shows in the quality of his connection to the coworkers. This is a scary thought. I am all about giving people chances, but we already had problems at this location. The last thing we need is this guy who is clearly not a part of the solution. He is the problem.

Nobody likes him because he is a pompous asshole and because he’s a snitch. He is a backstabbing snake and only looks to do things that make him look good. Drops the ball on his actual responsibilities and then blames others when things aren’t done. He lacks accountability. As a result no one trusts him, and does not go to him for help.

Don’t try that double speak with me

I told him to his face during our little sit down that he’s delusional if he’s taking my manager’s feedback at face value considering the complaints about his inability to communicate AND his subtle racism. He tried to use the double speak on me but I called him out on it. I told him flat out that he has no intention of supporting me. He doesn’t do any of his own investigating and because he doesn’t bother to get to know the people he is supposed to support, he makes incompetent judgement calls that hurt careers.

Case and point mine. Where was my feedback at the end of last fiscal year? Where was my follow up? How come no one was holding my boss accountable for the fact that he dropped the ball on my development all because he was resentful of the program that I was in? That he, to my face, told me he didn’t think I deserved it.

How am I supposed to trust the opinion of someone who has already decided what I was capable of before giving me a chance to actually perform? That is his unconscious bias.

Odds stacked against me

I am a woman and outspoken. I am Latina and I question the authority of anyone who does not show competence to lead me or make decisions that affect me directly.

My mistake was thinking that I could win my boss over through perseverance and determination. I realized too late that the deck was stacked too high against me and his mind long ago had made up. Any slight lapse in performance for me would be weighed far heavier than my white peers. Especially any male white peers.

He asked me why I hadn’t raised the concerns I had about my manager before now?

To whom? His boss? Who is even more clueless and is going to trust that my Manager is telling him the truth? He isn’t going to verify. It’s my word against his. How to prove that my boss is systematically targeting Hispanic coworkers and holding them to a higher standard because he is biased?

Back on the crazy horse

I feel like I’m taking crazy pills. And that’s how abusers want you to feel.

Now I’m stuck in my role for the next six months while I bide my time and keep a low profile to get off this asshole’s radar so I can hope to find another position and get the hell out of this toxic work environment.

I don’t want to leave this company, but I will if I have to. I’m not going to get pigeonholed by a narrow-minded mansplainer.

I wish I had the solution of how to combat and overcome the silent career killer of unconscious bias. But there is no answer

Nor a greater torture than knowing the knife is being pushed into my chest and looking the villain in the eye as he knowingly kills my future.