Bias Interrupting Mechanisms for Promotions – People Managers

The purpose of this guide is to provide suggested strategies for mitigating and interrupting unconscious bias during the promotions process.

What is Unconscious Bias?

At any given moment, we receive over 11 million bits of information from the
world around us, but we can only consciously process 40 bits of information at Ask Yourself
a time. Our unconscious mind, however, can process much more information,
and it does so by using a series of mental shortcuts and filters, based on past How are personal experiences, beliefs or cultural and societal norms
1.
experiences, cultural and societal norms, and personal beliefs—also known as shaping our perspective?
unconscious bias. We all have unconscious biases; our brains would be too
Have we sought out new or different perspectives before making this
overwhelmed to make decision in this stimulus-rich worked without shortcuts 2.
decision?
to help us navigate. These shortcuts, neither inherently good nor bad, allow
our brains to make almost-instantaneous decision, sort information and decide Did we allow enough time to gather and consider all data versus
who and what to pay attention to and reach the quickest and simplest 3.
making the quickest or easiest decision?
solutions1. While the existing list of unconscious biases extends to more than
150, we recommend posing the questions found on the right to help you to 4. Are we taking calculated risks or avoiding loss/conflict?
identify potential bias while making decisions during the promotions process.

Where might Unconscious Bias show up in Promotions?

Below are a few examples of potential instances of bias in promotions:
 Assuming an employee is not interested in promotion because they have not explicitly asked for it.
 Putting more focus on promoting those who sit in the same location vs. those in another city or country.
 Dismissing feedback that does not align to your experience with an employee.

What are the stages of the Promotion Process?

The stages of the Promotion Process are outlined below. Each stage of the promotion process is covered in more detail on the following pages. Please note
that the “Finalize Compensation” stage is out of scope and will not be covered in this document. For more information on the Promotion Process, please visit
the GTM Promotions site.

Identification Development Decision Support Finalize

Career Conversations Scoping the Role Create Promotion Doc Promo Feedback Compensation

The remainder of this document provides examples of bias you could encounter at each stage of the promotion process as well as tools and recommendations
for interrupting bias. Please note that these are not the only ways bias may surface during promotions, but continually asking yourself the questions above as
you go through the promoting process will help you to interrupt bias in a variety of situations.

1 For more information on Unconscious Bias, complete the Unconscious Bias and Decision Making e-learning, download this Unconscious Bias Guide or visit the Unconscious Bias wiki.
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 Identification (Career Conversations)
Your role as a people manager is to help your employees gain clarity about their career aspirations and the actions they can take by having
open, two-way career conversations.

Bias Interrupters
Common Biases you may What could this bias look Example Ask Yourself Tools and Recommendations
encounter like in Promotions?
Representativeness Bias – Comparing a current Not considering someone How are personal  Use Role Guidelines to help
Assuming that someone who employee to a previous for promotion because experiences, beliefs or you evaluate and explore
“looks the part” has all of the employee the previous person in the cultural and societal norms promotion readiness.
skills or qualities of character you role was not ready for 3 shaping our perspective?
associate with that occupation or years and they have only
role. been in the role for 2.
Affinity Bias – The tendency to Employees identified for Employees who prefer an Have we sought out new or  Reach out to a previous
give preference to people like promotion are similar to alternative leadership different perspectives manager or project partner
ourselves. their manager. style to their manager’s before making this to get more examples
style are identified as not decision? around promotion
ready for promotion. readiness.
Recency Effect - Recalling and Focusing only on recent Using only the work or Did we allow enough time  Take the time to discuss
emphasizing recent events and work or scope to identify projects they’ve to gather and consider all previous work and projects
observations more than those in promotion readiness. completed on their data versus making the with your employee to gain
the near or distant past. current team or with their quickest or easiest decision? a more complete picture of
current manager to their previous work and
identify if they are ready scope.
for promotion.

Tip! Be mindful of communication styles

There are many different communication styles so not everyone on the team will directly ask for a promotion. It’s important that you
drive career conversations with all employees, even those that are not explicitly asking for it, to ensure you are identifying the
appropriate timeline, scope and projects required for each employee to reach their career goals.

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 Development (Scoping the Role)

For your employee to demonstrate next-level performance, they need opportunities to do next-level work and exhibit next-level leadership. As a manager, it’s
your job to provide these opportunities by scoping your employee’s current role at the next level.

Bias Interrupters
Common Biases you may What could this bias look like Example Ask Yourself Tools and Recommendations
encounter in Promotions?
Stereotyping Generalizations Assigning stretch projects to Assigning high profile How are personal  Use Career Growth Plans
about groups of people that employees based on projects more often to experiences, beliefs or (CGPs) for development
don’t take into account generalizations of groups employees without cultural and societal norms action planning for all
individual differences. they belong to (working children as they won’t shaping our perspective? employees. Refer to this
parents etc.) have as many personal information to help align
conflicts to disrupt the opportunities based on
project. need and interest, not
personal situations.

In-Group / Out-Group occurs Assigning stretch projects to Assigning highly visible Have we sought out new or  Create a structure for
when we give preferential those who are more similar stretch assignments to different perspectives allocating work and
treatment to people we perceive to you or your work style. employees who have before making this opportunities and then
as being in our in-group – (same similar work or decision? stick to it. Avoid allocating
race, political views, gender communication style to work and opportunities to
identity, level, education your own. the same set of people.
background, or age, etc.).

Distance Bias – preferring or Assigning stretch projects to Assigning more projects Did we allow enough time  Stop to consider all
valuing people that are in closer employees who have more to employees in Seattle to gather and consider all employees for a project
proximity to us in time and face to face interactions than than Chennai. data versus making the before assigning it.
space. those who don’t. quickest or easiest decision?

Tip! Set up a team chat room on Chime to include global members

Do you have team members that sit remotely or in another country? Consider setting up a team chat room on Chime so you can
include all team members in discussions of new project assignments.

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 Decision (Create Promotion Document)

Although some sections of the promo doc involve collaboration, as a manager, you own the final document and are responsible for its quality and completion.

Bias Interrupters
Common Biases you may What could this bias look Example Ask Yourself Tools and Recommendations
encounter like in Promotions?
Ethnocentric Bias - judging Best Reason Not to Promotion readiness is How are personal experiences,  Before listing
another culture solely by Promote (BRNTP) is based questioned for an beliefs or cultural and societal communication as BRNTP,
the standards of one's own on characteristics employee who does norms shaping our perspective question if you can recall
culture. expected in your culture. advocate for their ideas as any specific examples of
assertively as expected in a when their communication
given culture. style inhibited their ability
to deliver results.

False Consensus Effect - Assumption that everyone Promotion document relies Have we sought out new or  Request feedback from a
Overestimating the extent in there room will be too heavily on positive different perspectives before variety of individuals,
to which others agree with supportive of the feedback without enough making this decision? particularly those that may
you; the tendency to promotion. detail or specific examples have a differing point of
assume that your beliefs, for BRNTP section. view so you can provide a
habits, and opinions are balance document.
“normal” and that most
people think the same way

Conservatism Bias is where Avoid including feedback A manager omitting Did we allow enough time to  Before removing feedback,
people believe prior that contradicts your feedback from the promo gather and consider all data stop to consider why you
evidence more than new experience. doc that does not align to versus making the quickest or are removing it, especially
evidence or information their experience with the easiest decision? if it is contradictory to your
that has emerged employee. beliefs.

Tip! Be cautious of the professional experience section of the document

Some of the information found in the professional experience section, such as gaps in employment, short tenure or employment at
certain companies, can impact the reviewers’ perception of the employee’s promotion readiness. For example, if an employee has had
an overall short tenure in their role or at Amazon, reviewers may raise concerns over the promotion happening too soon. As the
owner of the document, be honest about past experience and be ready to support your employee by speaking to specific examples
that show they are prepared for the next level.

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 Support (Promotion Feedback)

Amazon has a strong feedback culture, and our promotion process is no exception. Feedback plays a key role in developing your employee, assessing their
promotion readiness, as well as effectively communicating their readiness to leaders.

Bias Interrupters
Common Biases you may What could this bias look Example Ask Yourself Tools and Recommendations
encounter like in Promotions?
Negativity Bias is the A negative experience Another Amazonian How are personal experiences,  Review feedback prior to
tendency to put more unnecessarily outweighing recommends not to beliefs or cultural and societal submitting to question if it
emphasis on negative positive experiences in promote citing a single norms shaping our perspective? is balanced. It’s ok if they
experiences rather than feedback incident and ignoring do not recommend
positive ones. multiple successful projects promotion, just be sure it
worked on together. hasn’t over-emphasized
negative situations.

Confirmation Bias: The Focusing on individuals Only requesting feedback Have we sought out new or  Keep a list of teams or
idea that people seek out who have positive from individuals who have different perspectives before individuals your employee
information and data that experiences with the shared positive feedback in making this decision? has collaborated and
confirms their pre-existing employee. the past. worked with to give you a
ideas. broad list to pick from for
feedback requests.

Availability Bias - Relying Requesting feedback from Feedback requested from Did we allow enough time to  Take the time to consider
only on information that the first people that come individuals of the same gather and consider all data who you are requesting
comes to mind easily and to mind. team, job family, project, versus making the quickest or feedback from and ensure
quickly. gender, race/ethnicity, tech easiest decision? they are from a variety of
or non-tech. This can lead teams, roles, projects etc.
to incomplete feedback.

Tip! Avoid vague feedback

If you receive vague feedback such as “they were an asset to the project team” or “they repeatedly disrupted progress towards our
goal”, send the feedback request back and ask them to provide specific examples. Ask questions like, “How were they an asset to the
team” or “In what ways did they disrupt progress?” Any feedback included in the promotion document should be linked to a specific
example.

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