UAE: How unconscious biases can deepen inequalities in recruitment, career growth

Khaleej Times

12 hours ago

NamaWomen Advancement, a government initiative for gender equity, held a workshop on unconscious bias in the workplace. The session explored how such bias affects hiring, promotions, and company culture.
It highlighted that unconscious bias is a systemic issue, not just a personal one. If ignored, it can deepen inequalities in recruitment, career growth, leadership roles, and employee engagement.
The workshop, part of the Irtiqa initiative under the directives and visionary leadership of Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, Wife of Ruler of Sharjah and Chairperson of Nama Women Advancement, offered participants a deeper understanding of how unconscious biases can influence decisions and reinforce barriers to inclusion and opportunity.
Forms of unconscious bias
The workshop offered participants an understanding of unconscious biases that can be shaped by upbringing, media, education, and language. Participants were encouraged to reflect on the factors that reinforce bias.
Forms of unconscious bias include:
— Maternity Bias: Making assumptions about women's commitment or capacity due to caregiving responsibilities
— Halo Effect: Forming a generalized impression based on one positive trait
— Horn Effect: Forming a generalised impression based on one negative trait
— Contrast Bias: Evaluating someone not on their own merit but in comparison to others
— Affinity Bias: Favouring individuals who share similar backgrounds, interests or identities
Real-life workplace scenarios
The workshop engaged participants with realistic workplace scenarios that illustrated how unconscious bias can impact interactions and decision-making, often without intent.
These scenarios reflected a range of professional contexts, including performance evaluation, recruitment, promotions, task allocation, and everyday communication.
The scenarios invited participants to critically analyze not just individual behaviour, but also systems and assumptions that allow such biases to persist.
Through group discussions, they explored how everyday decisions can either support or challenge inclusion and equity within the workplace.
Institutional biases through systemic change
The workshop emphasised that addressing unconscious bias requires both individual reflection and systemic change. Key areas of action to address institutional bias included encouraging self-awareness, using gender-disaggregated data, and raising awareness through targeted training.
The Irtiqa initiative was highlighted as a structured, practical initiative to support organisations in implementing these strategies.
Nama's systemic approach to unconscious bias
'At Nama Women Advancement, we view unconscious bias not merely as a personal attitude, but as a systemic challenge that shapes organizational culture, influences policies, and impacts decision-making structures, often without being recognized,' according to Nama.
'By treating unconscious bias as a structural challenge, rather than isolated individual behavior, we focus on transforming systems, not just mindsets. This includes revisiting how organisations assess performance, define leadership, and create inclusive policies.'
Irtiqa Initiative
Through Nama's Irtiqa Initiative, Nama works with public and private sector entities in the UAE to embed inclusion at both strategic and operational levels through:
• Interactive workshops that raise awareness, spark dialogue, and equip stakeholders with actionable solutions
• Organisational diagnostic tool known as the Irtiqa Toolkit that helps organizations assess where they stand on their gender diversity journey and provide recommendations to improve inclusion policies and workplace culture
• One-on-one organisational consultations focused on reviewing internal practices, such as HR systems and DEI policies, developing action plans and strategies to drive long-term change
Measurable outcomes and goals
Nama aims for measurable outcomes including increased representation of women across leadership, management, and technical roles; more equitable recruitment and promotion systems supported by inclusive HR policies and performance review structures; greater awareness and behavioral shifts among staff and leadership; and improved access to professional development opportunities for underrepresented groups.
Through the directives of Sheikha Jawaher Al Qasimi, Irtiqa aims to drive economic growth by positioning women's inclusion as a major proponent for global GDP expansion and help reshape business ecosystems by advocating gender-inclusive products and supply chains supporting women-owned enterprises.
The initiative advances UAE leadership in Sustainable Development Goals (5, 8, 17) and fosters cross-sector knowledge hubs through peer networks.
Success measurement
Impact is measured through Irtiqa's diagnostic dashboards, quantifying progress across the 5Ps such as increased women in leadership or pay equity adjustments.
Policy adoption rates track implementation of toolkit recommendations. Participation metrics include workshop reach and toolkit usage, while longitudinal staff surveys gauge cultural shifts in inclusion perceptions.
'Irtiqa also measures impact through stories of transformation: rising numbers of women leading teams, policies redesigned for fairness, and partners reporting tangible gains in innovation and morale,' according to Nama.