In our journey toward becoming a more inclusive and diverse organization, employee listening sessions held earlier in the year reinforced the importance of addressing unconscious bias as a key part of the strategy. To do this, we thought it was essential to start with establishing a common language for understanding and talking about unconscious bias concepts and their impacts, and to develop leaders’ skills and comfort in engaging in dialogues with their teams.

An Unconscious Education strategy was launched with a foundational all-employee course and an optional module for those wishing to delve further into the topic. In the second phase we rolled out additional content through monthly micro-learnings to deepen the learning and self-reflection. We also delivered a two-part workshop series for managers to explore their own unconscious biases and experiences and provide them with tools and practice opportunities for facilitating team discussions and handling challenges.

100% of employees completed the foundational course and nearly a quarter of the population accessed the additional course. Over the past two months, approximately 40% of employees have consumed over 1,800 pieces of micro-learning content and resources. We anticipate this number to grow even more as we continue to embed the concepts further.

In a workshop evaluation survey, managers identified numerous takeaways including a better understanding of what unconscious bias means and how to address it and increased insight into their own biases. And, nearly all those surveyed, felt more prepared to engage in discussions with their teams. Team discussions have begun in some divisions and will continue through Q1 2022.

Overall, we’ve advanced the organization’s understanding of unconscious bias and are a building a strong foundation to translate knowledge into new or modified processes, programs, and practices in the coming years.

Elisa Glazer