Why is bias so difficult to tackle? What interventions actually work? Commissioner Ward joins the 2023 HRPA Summit to speak to DEI and HR priorities

Commissioner Kadie Ward was pleased to attend the 2023 HR Summit, Annual Meeting and Tradeshow hosted by Human Resources Professionals Association to speak about the structural bias in the labour market as well as effective approaches for identifying and tackling implicit biases to drive better diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) outcomes in workplaces.

Delivering better DEI outcomes is a priority for HR professionals. DEI has been a “trend” within HR practice for many years. How did we get here? Why is bias so difficult to tackle? What interventions actually work? It’s going to take more than “re-writing the playbook” to correct the structural biases in the labour market. Implicit or hidden biases are automatic and unconscious tendencies that can perpetuate inequity and injustice in the labour market. Many well-intentioned and commonly used programs and interventions to reduce implicit bias have been ineffective at bringing about meaningful change.