Recognising and managing unconscious bias

This course will introduce you to unconscious biases, what they are and what you can do about them. Professional ethics are central to the work you do as internal auditors. The Code of Ethics provides principles and rules of conduct that describe behavioural norms expected of us. These include acting with integrity, maintaining objectivity, upholding confidentiality, and being competent.

Unconscious biases threaten our ability to act in accordance with these key ethical guidelines because they cloud our judgement and unknowingly influence our behaviours and decision-making. To act with integrity and maintain objectivity, we must actively address and combat our biases.

What will I learn?

After completing this course, you will be able to:

• Understand what unconscious bias is and how it can influence decision-making.
• Describe different types of biases and identify scenarios where they are likely to occur.
• Judge which unconscious biases may be affecting their decision-making and know which tools they may employ mitigate against their biases.

Who should do the course?

All internal auditors - as either an introduction to unconscious bias, or refresher to the subject.

What will I do?

The course comprises one module. You will be able to download your certificate of completion once you’ve worked through the module.

You have 90 days to complete the course; however, it shouldn’t take you more than one hour to complete it.

Technical requirements

The course is online so you will need access to an internet-enabled device. The material is responsive and will display well on most devices.  However, you will need a laptop or PC with a mouse to complete some of the quiz questions. The material is written so you don’t need earphones or speakers.

CPE competency areas covered

• Professionalism (Individual objectivity)
• Professionalism (Ethical behaviour)

1  CPE point