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How to identify and navigate them at workplace

- Amisha Shirgave

In the hustle culture that loudly takes over the corridors of modern workplaces, a silent force often shapes careers, relationships, and opportunities — ‘Bias.’ It doesn’t always announce itself or over-discriminate or is very evident but lurks in subtle decisions, silent comments, assumptions, and gossip. From the conference room to lunch tables, unspoken biases influence who gets hired, who gets heard, who gets ahead, and who gets fired.

These biases that have their roots in gender, colour, age, appearance, and a host of other characteristics, are brutally obvious to those who experience them every single day at work but are rarely visible to those who support them or initiate them.

These biases are often ignored in the name of ‘business as usual’ and they continue to flourish, creating partiality and hurdles that demotivate creativity and lower one’s self-esteem.

Favouritism People naturally gravitate towards those they think of as similar to themselves, whether in terms of background, interests, or education. This bias can lead to cliques and conservatives of groups, especially in mentorship opportunities. It can also lead to missed opportunities when the one chosen might only be at the position due to favoritism whereas the one who truly deserves it might get lost in the crowd.

Ageism Have you ever, at work felt that your input or work was better than that of a senior yet the senior is appreciated? This bias prioritises a person’s tenure over talent or performance. While experience is valuable, seniority bias can prolong innovation by overlooking fresh ideas from newer and young employees. It may also discourage high-performing individuals if promotions and opportunities are based solely on years of service rather than merit.