You're excited! You walk into the conference room as the new HR intern. One of your responsibilities is identifying areas for growth to expand this company.
During the meeting, although you meet different people, you notice they all have similar backgrounds, experiences, and thought processes.
Photo by SEO Galaxy on UnsplashAfter the meeting, your boss pulls you aside to get your first impression.
You tell them you've found the first area of improvement. "What?" they ask. You say affinity bias.
What is Affinity Bias?
Affinity bias is an unconscious bias that leads us to favor people with similar backgrounds, experiences, interests, and worldviews to our own.
Photo by Markus Winkler on UnsplashAlthough it's a natural human tendency to connect with people who remind us of ourselves, in business, if left unchecked, it leads to a lack of diversity in decision-making and exclusion of those who differ.
Recognizing Affinity Bias
Because affinity bias is unconscious, it isn't easy to recognize. You must use intentional reflection to help you see if you or your company is affected by it. Below are guiding questions to help you see if affinity bias is influencing you and your company.
Social Networks
While at work, do coworkers mainly socialize with or eat lunch with people who share the same department, hobbies, or background?
Professional Networks
When working on projects, do you prefer to work with people who remind you of yourself? Do your coworkers only network with people who attended the same university?
First Impressions
When meeting new colleagues, do you make positive or negative judgments based on how similar they are to you? Do others seem to do this with you?
Decision-Making Patterns
Notice patterns of hiring or those who receive promotions. Are they favored because they're similar to those in power positions, or because of their talents? If you hear language like "they're a great cultural fit," that could signal affinity bias.
Examples of Affinity Bias
In the corporate world, affinity bias usually happens when people are given opportunities based on similarity with the person in authority rather than on qualifications. Look at the scenarios below to see affinity bias in action.
Scenario 1
When reviewing an employee's work performance, their supervisor gives them a positive report, not because the employee's work quality supports this report, but because they remind the supervisor of themselves at that point in their career.
Scenario 2
A lunch invitation is unintentionally given to colleagues with the same ethnicity, excluding others. Even though this was unintentional, it's still bias.
Scenario 3
A manager spends more time mentoring and developing employees who are similar to them, hindering the career advancement of others.
Photo by KOBU Agency on UnsplashQuiz Scenario 1: Identifying Affinity Bias
Alex is selecting a team member for a project and feels an instant connection to one candidate, Priya, because they share the same hometown and high school.
Another candidate, Devon, has stronger project experience and relevant certifications, but Alex finds themself leaning toward Priya because of their similarities. Alex wants to choose Priya, and is unaware that this preference may reflect affinity bias.
Which decision is an example of affinity bias?
A. Choosing Priya because Alex feels more comfortable with someone who shares a similar background.
B. Comparing both candidates strictly based on their experience, skills, and project readiness.
C. Asking a colleague to help evaluate the candidates to ensure fairness.
D. Selecting the candidate with the most relevant certifications, regardless of personal similarity.
Quiz
Select any above example that shows affinity bias:
Addressing Affinity Bias
Although affinity bias is subtle, it is not impossible to address and overcome. To address affinity bias:
Practice self-awareness. Use the guiding questions from the previous section. It's a great start to reveal affinity bias in yourself and your company.
Be an advocate. Building on self-awareness, if you see affinity bias at play in your company, discuss it with the appropriate people in authority. Offer suggestions about possible solutions or training to target the bias.
Promote hiring best practices. Encourage your company to use standardized questions to ensure fairness when completing interviews and evaluating candidates.
Meet people. It's hard for bias to continue when we know each other's true stories. Get to know people, maybe by having lunch each week with someone who appears different than yourself.
Quiz Scenario 2: Addressing Affinity Bias
You're reviewing applicants for a job opening, and one candidate, Taylor, feels especially appealing because you share the same university background. Another candidate, Jordan, has strong experience but no personal similarities to you.
Remembering that affinity bias can influence decisions, you want to ensure your evaluation is fair and based only on relevant qualifications.
Which action best helps you avoid affinity bias?
A. Give Taylor a higher ranking because you feel more comfortable with someone from a similar background.
C. Ask Taylor questions about your shared university experience to see if they fit the team culture.
B. Use a predefined scoring rubric focused only on relevant skills and experience to evaluate both candidates.
D. Reject Jordan’s application because their background may make it more challenging for them to "fit in".
Quiz
Select any above example that address affinity bias:
Take Action
Photo by Tim Mossholder on UnsplashReady to address affinity bias? Try these tips:
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