At SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, we believe that great science requires great people. As a result, we incorporate purposeful interventions based on the latest science behind inherent bias to mitigate unconscious barriers to success. Inherent biases are underlying beliefs, attitudes or assumptions that skew viewpoints under discussion. SLAC's management team has been actively involved in learning about the effects of bias and supports bias mitigation in decision making across the lab. Below are some examples of how we mitigate bias at SLAC.

Recruiting and Hiring

We believe in equal opportunity.

SLAC mitigates bias throughout the staffing process. This includes extended diverse outreach, candidate slate targets, candidate vetting and selection equity.

Performance Guidance

We believe performance is more than numbers.

We changed annual performance reviews to performance guidance discussions that occur throughout the year to reflect how people really work and develop their potential. We also incorporate bias mitigation prompts in trainings and our performance tool.

Talent Planning

We believe in building a bright future.

To plan our workforce needs, we annually review talent at the lab and give specific attention to the representation of women and underrepresented minorities. We balance our program nominations and base considerations on merit and potential for growth, checking against common bias patterns to ensure equal review.

Pay Equity

We believe in equal pay for equal work.

Regardless of gender or ethnic background, SLAC compensates for the position and work being done. We also conduct annual salary audits to identify and rectify any possible discrepancies for all positions across the lab.

Creating Change

We believe we can create change together.

Here we share resources that have made a difference at SLAC. Utilizing these evidence based tools enabled to make progress in building a more diverse and inclusive organization. We hope they may help your organization as well.

Internal Resources

This section links to additional resources for SLAC employees.

• Video: Mitigating Bias at SLAC with Caroline Simard, Sr. Director of Research at Stanford’s Clayman Institute (scroll to bottom of page)
• Mitigating Bias All Hands Deck

SLAC is a proud partner and sponsor of The Clayman Institute for Gender Research at Stanford University.