Promoting Diversity and Inclusion in Society by Sharing Knowledge and Methods for Understanding Unconscious Bias
Mercari, Inc. (“Mercari”) has released materials for its in-house training program “Unconscious Bias Workshop” for free on the Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) page of its careers site, with the goal of promoting diversity and inclusion in society by sharing knowledge and methods for understanding unconscious bias.
As part of Mercari’s initiatives to promote D&I within the company, Mercari began running the Unconscious Bias Workshop, a unique training program created in-house, in 2019. This program was then made mandatory for all managers at Mercari in early 2020.
“Unconscious bias” refers to the unconscious assumptions and prejudices we develop through our life experiences and culture. Examples of unconscious bias include generalizations made solely based on gender, race, age, or other characteristics, such as “women don’t make good leaders because they can’t lead organizations well” or “non-Japanese people don’t fit in with the culture at Japanese companies,” all without even noticing it. This unconscious bias can hinder equal opportunity, obstruct individual growth, and even affect crucial decision-making in organizations, such as hiring and performance evaluation. Therefore, in order to create an organization that respects each individual’s diverse experiences and viewpoints, it is essential for each and every member to make a habit of recognizing this unconscious bias in their everyday thoughts and actions.
By openly sharing knowledge and methods for understanding unconscious bias and encouraging other companies and organizations to hold this Unconscious Bias Workshop themselves, Mercari aims to promote D&I in society as a whole.
Overview of the Unconscious Bias Workshop
Purpose of the Unconscious Bias Workshop
The purpose of this workshop is for participants to understand unconscious bias and make a habit of recognizing it on a daily basis in order to ensure that it does not influence their own decisions and communication.
The three goals of the Unconscious Bias Workshop
Knowledge: Understand unconscious bias
Awareness: Become aware of your own unconscious bias
Skills: Make a habit of recognizing unconscious bias within yourself and others
Program outline:
・What is Unconscious Bias?
・Common Types of Unconscious Bias
・Self-Check for Unconscious Bias, etc.
Published Materials：
1. Unconscious Bias Workshop Presentation Slides
Mercari has published the presentation slides used in the Unconscious Bias Workshop.
*A script for facilitating the Unconscious Bias Workshop using these slides can be found in the Facilitator Guide below.
The slides can be downloaded as a PDF from the following link:
Download PDF
2.Unconscious Bias Workshop Facilitator Guide (a guide for running the workshop)
Mercari has also published a Facilitator Guide with instructions and a script for facilitators running this workshop.
The Facilitator Guide can be downloaded as a PDF from the following link:
Download PDF
Going forward, Mercari will continue to carry out the Unconscious Bias Workshop and take on various initiatives to promote D&I not only within the company, but in society as a whole.