KEK promotes activities to realize an environment where diverse talents can maximize their potential and thrive under equal opportunities while respecting each other’s differences. Those activities are called DE&I (Diversity, Fairness, and Inclusion), and as part of this, we have compiled “Unconscious Bias in Personnel Selection.”
Unconscious bias is a prejudice (bias) that we all have subconsciously. Many of these are based on old habits and common sense. Biases are imprinted in the brain in everyday life and influence human judgment, and it has been pointed out that minorities tend to be disadvantaged in personnel evaluations in organizations and workplaces.
KEK will continue to consider diversity and deepen its understanding of unconscious bias to realize even fairer personnel selection.
Unconscious Bias in Personnel Selection
1.Especially in human resources, the decision may be influenced by such factors such as
(1) Attributes (gender, educational background, home laboratory, nationality, race, age, etc.) can
(2) Over-consideration by Attribution
(3) Excessive concerns for attributes
(4) Taking actions such as ignoring or insulting based on attributes(microaggressions)
2.It is important to clarify the selection criteria and share them among the selection committee members before entering the personnel selection process to limit the influence of bias.
(1) In setting the selection criteria, it is desirable to set evaluation criteria that are appropriate for researchers who have experienced life events from the perspective of diversity.
(2) Ensure organizational diversity by interviewing a wide range of candidates who meet selection criteria.
(3) Stereotypes that each individual has about the role of the institute/research facility may influence the candidate’s evaluation. The future vision of the institutes KEK may be different from current one. It is desirable to formulate a recruitment policy that considers its ideal future.
(4) It is known that in stressful situations, such as limited selection periods, increase the bias in the decision. It is advised to ensure that you have sufficient time to make decisions based on the selection criteria and the facts.
(5) Even objective criteria such as letters of recommendation for candidates, records of awards and acquisition of external funding may be affected by unconscious bias.
(6) KEK has a basic policy regarding DE & I. In particular, for positions with administrative responsibilities, verify experience that contributes to the realization of these goals.
The following resources may be helpful in gaining a better understanding of unconscious bias and the current research climates at universities.
- Gender Equality Academic Societies Liaison Group Unconscious Bias Leaflet
- Psychological Tests for Unconscious Bias
- Researcher Recruitment Guide “To Conduct Researcher Recruitment from the Perspective of Diversity” by the North Tohoku Diversity Research Environment Realization Promotion Council*.
- University of Tokyo Unconscious Bias Confirmation Sheet
- Science Council of Japan Proposal: “Proposal to Promote Gender Equality and Improve the Research Environment at Universities and Research Institutes Based on the Results of the Science Council of Japan Questionnaire Survey.”