In today’s healthcare industry, there still exists a gap between the desire to make change and the achievement of change in leadership diversity. How can organizations overcome this gap and build more inclusive leadership teams?
Since the widely cited research article, “The Case for Diversity in the Health Care Workforce,” (Cohen, Jordan J., et al., 2002) was published nearly 20 years ago - outlining the need for a more inclusive workforce in order to expand health care access and provide equitable care to the underserved - healthcare organizations have widely embraced the notion that a diverse workforce generates value.
Yet, progress in achieving diversity and inclusion in the leadership ranks has lagged. One major factor, the issue of unconscious bias and the impact it has on selecting and appointing healthcare leaders at the helm of organizational change, continues to significantly impact equity, diversity and inclusion achievements.
In today’s healthcare industry, there still exists a gap between the desire to make change and the achievement of change in leadership diversity. During a recent survey of healthcare leaders conducted by Cejka Search and the Center for Creative Leadership, we found that organizational culture plays a pivotal role in this disparity. Nearly half of executives described their organization’s attitudes towards inclusive leadership selection as a topic of discussion but with no significant practices in place.
Additionally, one out of seven said challenging hiring biases, especially up the organizational hierarchy, was culturally unacceptable. Nearly all executives said cultural fit or a person’s likability, which are linked to unconscious biases, often tips the scale in favor of a candidate.
On an operational level, less than half of executives reported having a formal diversity initiative in place, with or without a dedicated leadership role or executive sponsor. The highest percentage cited training but nothing formal beyond that, and one out of seven had no initiative at all.
Even among those whose organizations had a dedicated leadership role or executive sponsor, actionable policies aimed at reducing unconscious biases in the leadership selection process were often missing. This data suggests that organizations wishing to make progress are still lacking a meaningful framework for setting specific goals, establishing resources and polices, and measuring progress.
Common Offenders: Practices That May Perpetuate Bias
Three leadership hiring practices that may perpetuate unconscious bias in leadership selection were explored in our survey. One is providing search committee members with candidate photographs as part of the initial candidate profiles. Exposure to a candidate’s appearance can create a host of unconscious biases that may impact first impressions and, ultimately, hiring decisions.
The second is the inclusion of a candidate’s name early in the process, which often leads to perceptions about a person’s gender, race and ethnicity. The third is the growing use of social media to prescreen leadership candidates, which introduces an even broader scope of potential biases, both professional and personal, as well as legal exposure for the employer.
Findings showed that including photos in candidate profiles is still practiced, but is not prevalent. However, almost seven out of ten respondents conduct an Internet search on candidates prior to interviewing them, and only about one out of ten reported the existence of a formal policy on the use of social media at their organization.
Prior to interviewing candidates, the majority of executives had not received photos; however, two out of ten had. When asked how they would feel about receiving candidate profiles that did not include a name or photo, more than half of executives responded positively; however, four out of ten responded negatively, which included feeling less likely to seriously consider the candidate, suspicious of the candidate or process and, to a lesser degree, offended.
Within our report on unconscious bias, we share full survey results and provide strategies for reducing unconscious bias and driving innovation with diverse leadership. These strategies address the pillars required for leaders to institute meaningful equity, diversity and inclusion within an organization and best practices for minimizing the influence of unconscious biases in leadership hiring practices. To access the report, or to inquire about consulting for your organization on diversity and inclusion hiring best practices, contact Cejka Search today.
Reference: Cohen, Jordan J., et al. “The Case For Diversity In The Health Care Workforce.” Health Affairs, 2002
Mark Madden is an Executive Vice President, Managing Principal of Cejka Search. Mark leads executive search services for senior healthcare executive positions. He has extensive experience leading board search committees in executive recruitments, leveraging his expertise in critical leadership assessment and evaluation, as well as his thorough understanding of the complex issues facing healthcare leaders.