Effective Brand Management or Bias? You Be The Judge!

We spend a lot of time discussing the concept of unconscious bias: how it infiltrates our workplaces, disrupting the growth of inclusivity and diversity among our coworkers. But, while we’ve talked about unconscious bias in a broad sense, we haven’t explored unconscious bias in specific companies. Sometimes, though, the actions of one company can yield important lessons for others. Abercrombie & Fitch is a case in point.

Abercrombie & Fitch is a company that has found itself in hot water more often than not. The company’s choices—from controversial advertisements, to requirements related to employees’ appearances and references to their sales staff as “models”—have frequently placed the organization in the spotlight—and, arguably, damaged their brand. The company’s latest scandal calls into question the balance between brand management and exclusion.

On February 25, 2015, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of Samantha Elauf, a young woman who was denied employment at Abercrombie because she wore a hijab to her interview. “The central issue at the court is whether Elauf should have had to make clear her religious beliefs,” wrote Mark Sherman in his AP article “Supreme Court Justices Appear to Favor Muslim Woman Denied Job at Abercrombie & Fitch.”

A bigger question, though, is why should those beliefs matter? Clearly Abercrombie & Fitch has a specific idea about the image they wish their salespeople to convey. But is that ideal image the result of unconscious—or perhaps conscious—bias? Elauf shouldn’t have to explain or defend her religious beliefs in order to get hired into a position that she is qualified for. In this case, it appears that biases, whether unconscious or not, prevented Elauf from getting the job.

Though Abercrombie has since changed its policy, and now allows employees to wear headscarves, the controversy brings to light an important issue and a wake-up call for all of us to evaluate the policies and practices we have in place that may be, however unintentionally, leading to bias.

Sometimes, in order to be inclusive of others, policies need to have some wiggle room to ensure that the rights of others are accommodated. This could be for religious beliefs, sexual orientation, race or gender.

As inclusive leaders, it’s our responsibility to ensure an inclusive workplace environment and hiring practices that aren’t hindered by unconscious biases.

What can we learn from Abercrombie’s mistakes?

Recommended Reading:

Becoming an Inclusive Leader

Inclusion: The New Competitive Business Advantage

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