Unconscious bias awareness training is a hot topic in today’s corporate landscape, with organizations spending enormous sums of money to uncover inequities in their behaviors; however, there is little evidence these programs actually succeed in reducing bias. Despite the boom in bias awareness, women and minorities remain underrepresented in management structures. And while it’s difficult to determine if managers are acting on unconscious biases, it’s easy to determine if an individual perceives a bias against them. “People pick up on bias when they see opportunities handed to colleagues for unclear reasons,” said Kate Burke, head of human capital and chief talent officer at AllianceBernstein. “They’ll ask, ‘Why did that person get the best account, the best region?’ While the manager is likely thinking, ‘Who will connect best with that client base?’ That’s where unfounded assumptions come in.” The results of perceiving bias are clear—an employee who feels slighted is more likely to report emotional distress, feel higher levels of disengagement, and leave the organization altogether.