Visible or not, all facets of diversity must be addressed

How to spot bias

One of the oft-repeated messages about the importance of diversity is ‘if you can’t see it, you can’t be it’, and this underscores the importance of diverse role models thriving and progressing. But what if you really can’t easily see the difference? Is it harder to spot bias?

When it comes to diversity our tendency is to focus on the areas that we can see, or easily define and quantify. How should we interpret data that shows that nine in ten senior roles within the City are held by individuals from privileged backgrounds? It is this exact lack of immediate visibility that leaves socio-economic diversity often overlooked. After all, socio-economic mobility is not a protected characteristic under the law, nor is it immediately noticeable. It is a factor that can amplify the effects of discriminatory practices in other areas, however. Coming from a lower socio-...