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Patrick Forscher, who examined more than 400 training is guilt inducing and tells people off for
studies on unconscious bias. who or what they are, which is simply not true,”
she said.
He said that few studies measured changes over
time, and among “the most robust of those that “Great unconscious bias training provides a
did”, the findings suggested “changes in implicit positive and supportive environment to think
bias don’t last”. through how to ensure we recruit the best staff
Dr Forscher said such training had too often been rather than inadvertently clone ourselves,” said
used by employers as a “catch all”, which failed Ms Farrell.
to really tackle the specific barriers for different Not just ‘woke’
groups.
Psychologist and author Stuart Ritchie said even
Halima Begum, chief executive of the though many staff might be required to take such
Runnymede Trust race equality think tank, said unconscious bias training there was “nowhere
unconscious bias training is not always effective near robust evidence” that it was able to change
- and recognised the dangers of a corporate minds or behaviour.
“diversity industry” wanting to have “off the shelf”
training. Dr Ritchie said firms might use this training to
“placate worries”, but there was a lack of evidence
But she warned the government would have that it would really reduce prejudice.
to replace it with something better and further
reaching - which addressed bias and “ingrained Jonny Gifford, who has worked with firms on
views” at a more “fundamental level”. diversity and inclusion, said unconscious bias had
to be recognised as a “massive problem”.
Ms Begum said there needed to be structural
changes about fair pay, progression and work But Mr Gifford, adviser to the Chartered Institute
practices, rather than courses which “make your of Personnel and Development, warned the
boss feel better, but is not going to change the shortcomings of unconscious bias training
system”. should not be used to stop trying to “make the
workplace more inclusive and to reduce barriers
The value of such training was defended by to inequality”.
Jane Farrell, chief executive of the EW Group, a
diversity and inclusion consultancy. “To dismiss this as political correctness or being
‘woke’ is a very shaky place to be,” said Mr Gifford.
“There is a misconception that unconscious bias
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