15 October 2025
You don’t have to be a bad person to have bias. Most of us think we’re fair-minded professionals who treat everyone equally, and for the most part, that’s probably pretty accurate.
However, bias doesn’t always show up in bold. It’s not someone making a wildly inappropriate comment or writing off a client because of their surname, though, shockingly, that does still happen.
It’s usually quieter. A small judgement. A gut feeling. An assumption you didn’t realise you were making.
That’s the problem. In legal and accounting work, those quick decisions can influence who we trust, how we speak, what we advise and what gets overlooked.
Unconscious bias can slip into your everyday operations if you’re not careful.
For instance:
We often associate confidence with competence, especially in professional environments.
However, the two aren’t always the same.
Sometimes, the most polished clients are the ones who need the most clarity, while the most hesitant ones often have the best grasp of the issues.
Accent. Tone. Mannerisms. Whether we admit it or not, these things affect how we hear people.
A client who’s blunt might be labelled ‘rude’. One who’s soft-spoken could be seen as unsure. Someone who talks in circles gets written off as unclear, even if they’re trying to be precise.
None of it is malicious. It’s just how our brains make shortcuts.
In this line of work, those shortcuts can cost people fair treatment and cost firms their reputation, unless they are actively working to keep unconscious bias in check.
Most legal and finance professionals are under an immense amount of pressure to be quick.
Meetings, emails, calls, updating documents and then on to the next thing. However, the faster we move, the more we rely on instinct, and that instinct is often full of bias.
We sort people into mental boxes before they’ve finished introducing themselves.
Is this client a “problem”? Do they “get it”? Are they going to be “high maintenance”?
These aren’t always wrong, but they’re not always fair, and they’re rarely based on full facts.
You’re not working in the professional sector to become a flawless, judgment-free robot, and no one’s asking you to. Bias is part of being human.
However, the real skill lies in noticing when it’s creeping into your thinking and then nudging yourself back on track.
Here’s how to start putting that into practice:
That “gut feeling” you get in meetings or interviews? Ask yourself what it’s based on.
Is it genuine experience, or just familiarity?
People often trust those who sound like them, look like them, or think like them, but that’s not the same as competence.
Do you explain things more clearly to one client than another, because you assume one “gets it” and the other doesn’t?
Do you give more time to certain types of clients because they’re easier to work with? Recognising those habits is the first step to overcoming them.
In team discussions or file handovers, notice the language used.
Are some clients described as “demanding” when they’re just detail-focused? Do some colleagues get labelled “keen” while others doing the same thing are “pushy”?
These kinds of labels may seem harmless, but they influence how people are perceived and treated.
If you spot a pattern, challenge it. Often, people don’t realise they’re doing it until someone points it out.
When hiring, promoting, or assigning work, use consistent criteria, not just “who feels right.”
Track who gets called “dynamic,” “impressive,” or “safe pair of hands”, and whether those words are based on output or comfort.
Ask for feedback on your own behaviour, especially from people who don’t think like you.
No one wants to admit they’re biased but denying it doesn’t make the bias disappear. If anything, it makes it worse.
The aim of unconscious bias training is not to strip out instinct. It’s to help you identify when instinct might be getting in the way.
That’s what makes a more thoughtful professional, and a fairer one, too.
If you’d like help training your firm to identify and challenge unconscious bias, try out our online training platform tailored to legal and accounting professionals.
We’ve got plenty of courses to help your team stay compliant and develop their skills both personally and professionally.
Book your demo with The Professional Alternative today!