Racial/Ethnic Bias In Healthcare (part 2)
Following racially fraught incidents, checking for evidence of racism has become a key litmus test for corporate recruiting and hiring. Comp
The cost of unconscious bias is projected at $64B annually. Discover how bias is affecting your workplace and what this means for your busin
In my previous blog post, I talked about the ongoing issue of bias in healthcare. A quick summary of what I discussed is about how systematic racism has affected people of color's experiences in a patient care setting. I also talked briefly about how hospitals should investigate implementing bias screenings, to help eliminate racial/ethnic bias in healthcare. In this blog post, I'll be talking more about options healthcare facilities can consider when hiring their staff.
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The first suggestion is to have better and more thorough background checks done. In Terry Kaufman's article "Viewpoint: Conduct Careful Background Checks for Racism" he explains that Harry Kazakian, a licensed private investigator with expertise in pre-employment background checks, states that, "Many background checks are done by a lower-cost workforce in another country. These resources are usually unfamiliar with the U.S. legal system and the differences among state laws. They're neither expected to nor set up to invest the time and manpower required to thoroughly review a candidate's social media profile and other communications outlets that are likely to reveal signs of the person's character" (Kaufman, 2). This could be seen as a plus for companies knowing that they don't have to worry about any racial behavioral issues from their employees. At the same time, since the U.S. is built upon being a free country, some people may feel that the extensive background check is a violation of their rights to privacy. If an applicant for a job has differing political views, then the employer could use the background checks to discriminate against them.
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An example of extensive background checks becoming of use is "In 2018, a registered nurse was fired from his job at a hospital in Olive Branch, Miss. after he appeared at a polling place wearing a T-shirt that featured a noose and a Confederate flag. The nurse had previously managed to get two jobs directly dealing with people's lives in the majority Black community. Although no allegations had been raised about mistreatment or endangerment of patients, it is fair to ask how, in this age of social media, his previous employers failed to screen for bigotry during the hiring process"(Kaufman, 3). When using this method, we're only seeing part of the story versus the whole story, regardless of what was posted. Even if thorough background checks are done, the applicant should still be able to be interviewed.
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If companies do decide to implement extensive background checks, this can't be the only step in eliminating racial/ethnic bias. The conversation of diversity and prejudice is necessary for a workplace. the conversations will ensure that the workplace did try to educate its employees. Meaning, that if an employee were to continue to engage in hurtful behavior they can be rightfully fired. The article "Unconscious Bias: How It’s Affecting Your Workplace" by Andari Chisolm-Noel states that, "Unconscious bias (or implicit bias) refers to prejudice that we are unaware of. They happen outside of our control. It is automatic and triggered by our brain making quick decisions. Therefore, it may unexpectedly show up in small ways. One way is assuming an older employee doesn’t want to use the latest technology. In addition, you may presume a younger-looking professional is not the leader of a team"(Chisolm-Noel, 2). While adding that "48% of African American women and 47% of Latina women report being mistaken for administrative or custodial staff. Less than 15% of U.S. men are over 6 feet tall. Yet, 60% of corporate CEOs are at least this height. The taller a man is the more likely he will earn more than a shorter man. Lastly, resumes with African American, Asian, and Hispanic names are less likely to get callbacks for interviews" (Chisolm-Noel, 2). Andari brings up the idea of unconscious bias and how some people cannot control it. I feel that because of the unconscious bias, the extensive background check may not be of use of detecting someone with racial/ethnic bias. In instances where this does occur, companies could have conversations with their staff about diversity and prejudice. Chisolm-Noel ends her article by saying "Changing workplace attitudes and prejudices is possible. It begins with awareness and honest dialog about how they present in our lives and our offices" (Chisolm-Noel, 2). Talking to staff about prejudices that their co-workers face will bring awareness and help change the unconscious biased employee’s feelings.
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To end with, extensive background checks and conversations about prejudice and diversity could be implemented into healthcare facilities and change the racial/ethnic bias.
