Catalyst has launched a plug-in that helps users avoid gender bias on the workplace collaboration tool Slack. With people becoming more aware of the impact that unconscious bias has on their perspective, they want to address and counteract those tendencies. We explore the insights behind this and why Slack is addressing gender bias in the workplace with their word recognition plug-in.
Launched to mark 2019’s International Women's Day, and developed with Burns Group and Eskalera, Catalyst’s Slack #BiasCorrect campaign aims to improve users' unconscious behaviour by flagging biased language-use in Slack chats. In addition to offering corrections when any of the 25 biased terms are associated with a female pronoun, the plug-in gives users shareable content about the issue to let them play an active role in the campaign. With 42% of US women stating that they have been subject to gender discrimination, efforts to mitigate gender bias are likely to be lauded. "We can all raise our consciousness and awareness around this and make things more equitable," said Catalyst’s CEO, Lorraine Hariton
With discussions about feminism having increased by 300% over the past three years, it is clear that people are becoming ever more focused on achieving gender parity. Part of the greater cultural focus on inclusion, technological innovations such as the #BiasCorrect plug-in and adjoining social media overlays enable Catalyst to remain present at the core of the conversation. With consumers becoming more aware of the negative effects of unconscious biases, brands such as Starbucks and Google are tackling the social issue head-on while positioning themselves as clued up and socially-conscious.
Abi Buller is an editorial assistant at Canvas8, the leading behavioural insights practice. Abi is a London-based graduate from London College of Fashion (UAL). With a background in creative direction for fashion, her research and creative projects focus on experiential retail, new technologies and trend forecasting.
