How is addressing unconscious bias different from addressing conscious bias?

Unconscious bias affects judgment automatically and often without awareness, while conscious bias involves knowingly acting on a preference, stereotype, or prejudice. This course focuses mainly on uncovering the hidden reactions that can quietly shape workplace behavior and decisions.

Do you need any prerequisites before learning to recognize and mitigate unconscious bias?

No deep technical experience is required, since the course is beginner-level and centers on reflection, workplace examples, and practical response strategies. What matters more is being willing to examine your own assumptions and think carefully about how bias influences behavior.

What tools, platforms, or methods are used in this course?

A notebook, app, or other digital note-taking tool is useful because the course includes journaling and self-reflection prompts. The main methods are guided workplace scenarios, reflection, and practice with strategies for mitigating or disrupting bias.

What specific tasks will you practice or complete in this course?

You practice defining types of bias, identifying the influences that shape your own perspectives, and explaining how bias affects decision-making and behavior. You also analyze workplace situations, reflect on your reactions, and choose practical responses such as allyship, amplification, calling in, or calling out.

Unpacking Unconscious Bias in the Workplace

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Unpacking Unconscious Bias in the Workplace

This course is part of Building Diverse, Inclusive, and Safe Workplaces Specialization

Instructor: Gonzalo Solórzano

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2 modules

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Beginner level

Recommended experience

4 hours to complete

Flexible schedule

Learn at your own pace

2 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

Beginner level

Recommended experience

4 hours to complete

Flexible schedule

Learn at your own pace

Skills you'll gain

Details to know

Shareable certificate

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Assessments

4 assignments

Taught in English

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There are 2 modules in this course

“Unpacking Unconscious Bias in the Workplace” is an engaging, short-form course designed for those interested in learning how to not only mitigate personal biases, but also disrupt bias in the workplace. Through self-reflection, learners will begin the course by identifying the key influences that shaped their perspectives and biases, then articulate how those biases impact their behavior in the present. They will learn the difference between unconscious and conscious bias and be given actionable tools for mitigating biases. Finally, learners will practice effective strategies for disrupting bias in the workplace. Whether the learner is in HR, management, or simply committed to personal growth, this course offers invaluable lessons for everyone.

Welcome to Unpacking Unconscious Bias in the Workplace! We are often told to "check our biases." But, what does that mean? In this short course, you will take "unpack" unconscious bias by exploring, examining, and identifying bias in an effort to gain a deeper understanding of it. You will peel apart of the layers that make up unconscious bias, then practice ways to mitigate you own biases and disrupt bias in your workplace.

What's included

1 video1 reading

Let's start our course by understanding how personal perspectives and biases are formed. You will identify key factors that shape how you view and interact with the world around you. You will explore how your culture, upbringing, and personal experiences contribute to shaping your unique biases. Finally, you'll have the opportunity to engage in self-reflection, putting theory into practice to better understand the origins and impacts of your own perspectives and biases.

What's included

15 videos4 readings4 assignments

15 videosTotal 82 minutes

Introduction: How Personal Perspectives and Biases are Formed3 minutes
How Culture, Upbringing, and Experience Shape Our Biases5 minutes
Defining Cognitive, Unconscious, and Conscious Bias6 minutes
How Personal Perspectives and Biases are Formed: Final Thoughts5 minutes
Introduction: Unpacking Unconscious Bias3 minutes
Understanding Unconscious Bias is Crucial6 minutes
Understanding Unconscious vs. Conscious Bias8 minutes
Handling Unconscious Bias in Decision-Making: A Guided Interactive Scenario7 minutes
Everyday Biases6 minutes
Unpacking Unconscious Bias: Final Thoughts4 minutes
Introduction: Strategies for Mitigating and Disrupting Bias in the Workplace3 minutes
The Impact of Unconscious Bias in the Workplace7 minutes
Disrupting Bias: Allyship and Amplification7 minutes
Disrupting Bias: "Calling Out" and "Calling In"8 minutes
Strategies for Mitigating and Disrupting Bias in the Workplace: Final Thoughts4 minutes

4 readingsTotal 20 minutes

Your Personal Perspectives and Biases5 minutes
Essential Unconscious Bias Terminology5 minutes
Unpacking Your Unconscious Biases5 minutes
Mitigating and Disrupting Unconscious Bias & Resources for Further Learning5 minutes

4 assignmentsTotal 105 minutes

How Personal Perspectives and Biases are Formed15 minutes
Unpacking Unconscious Bias15 minutes
Strategies for Mitigating and Disrupting Bias in the Workplace15 minutes
Unpacking Unconscious Bias in the Workplace60 minutes

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Instructor

Gonzalo Solórzano

Coursera

3 Courses7,165 learners

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Frequently asked questions

In this course, it means examining the automatic assumptions that can shape your decisions and behavior without your awareness. The emphasis is on understanding where those reactions come from and learning practical ways to reduce their effect at work.

You would use it whenever a workplace judgment could be shaped by quick assumptions, such as how you interpret people, ideas, or situations before you have all the facts. The course treats it as a repeatable habit for everyday interactions and decisions, not just for obvious problems.

It fits in the earlier and middle stages of workplace decision-making, after you notice a reaction but before you act on it. The course frames it as part of an ongoing cycle of self-reflection, fairer evaluation, and response.

Unpacking Unconscious Bias in the Workplace

Unpacking Unconscious Bias in the Workplace

Skills you'll gain

Details to know

See how employees at top companies are mastering in-demand skills

Build your subject-matter expertise

There are 2 modules in this course

Welcome to Unpacking Unconscious Bias in the Workplace

What's included

1 videoTotal 5 minutes

1 readingTotal 2 minutes

Unpacking Unconscious Bias in the Workplace

What's included

15 videosTotal 82 minutes

4 readingsTotal 20 minutes

4 assignmentsTotal 105 minutes

Earn a career certificate

Instructor

Offered by

Explore more from Leadership and Management

Overcoming Bias

Professional Skills: Navigating Bias

Overcoming Cognitive Bias

Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace

Why people choose Coursera for their career

Felipe M.

Jennifer J.

Larry W.

Chaitanya A.

Get midyear savings and gain career momentum

Add momentum to your team

Frequently asked questions

More questions

Unpacking Unconscious Bias in the Workplace

Unpacking Unconscious Bias in the Workplace

Skills you'll gain

Details to know

See how employees at top companies are mastering in-demand skills

Build your subject-matter expertise

There are 2 modules in this course

Welcome to Unpacking Unconscious Bias in the Workplace

What's included

Unpacking Unconscious Bias in the Workplace

What's included

Earn a career certificate

Instructor

Offered by

Explore more from Leadership and Management

Overcoming Bias

Professional Skills: Navigating Bias

Overcoming Cognitive Bias

Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace

Why people choose Coursera for their career

Felipe M.

Jennifer J.

Larry W.

Chaitanya A.

Get midyear savings and gain career momentum

Add momentum to your team

Frequently asked questions

What does recognizing and mitigating unconscious bias mean in this course?

When would you use this approach to unconscious bias?

How does recognizing and mitigating unconscious bias fit into a broader workplace workflow?

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