29 January 2021News

BILTIR holds diversity and inclusion training on unconscious bias

Bermuda International Long Term Insurers and Reinsurers (BILTIR) has held a diversity and inclusion training seminar to educate its members about unconscious bias in the workplace.

Unconscious bias, also called implicit bias, refers to subconscious preferences that individuals can have for people or groups that can unintentionally influence behaviour and decision making.

Rachel Field, founder and principal of RK Field, which develops diversity, equity and inclusion programmes for international companies and non-profit organisations, hosted the virtual session on January 26. The session was well attended, with participants sharing personal stories and experiences.

Participants were encouraged to prepare for the event by taking Harvard University’s Implicit Association Test (IAT) online to better understand their own individual implicit biases. After the event participants were asked to select and execute at least one tangible activity to interrupt unconscious biases.

Sylvia Oliveira, BILTIR’s chair, stressed that it is normal for people to have unconscious biases that run counter to their values, but warned such hidden biases can unintentionally impact decision making, such as hiring or performance reviews.

“The good news is that once we have awareness, we can use our conscious values to prevent biased decisions,” she said.

“The level of engagement, enthusiasm and commitment from attendees made it clear that all are passionate about taking positive actions to improve the diversity and inclusion within their firms,” she added.

This session was the latest in a series of ongoing diversity and inclusion training events being held by BILTIR, which represents 65 companies operating in Bermuda’s life insurance sector.