“Where are you really from?”- The hidden bias in questions we ask our colleagues

Businesses thrive when everyone in the workplace is equally included, respected and valued. It’s not just a nice-to-have - it's a business imperative to have a well-functioning team where everyone can turn up and do their best work, regardless of their protected characteristics and without anxiety related to how their identity will be perceived.

When your origins are publicly questioned in an otherwise homogeneous environment, it implicitly affirms to everyone in the conversation that you are a guest of sorts; that you don’t belong here like they do. This is the opposite of inclusion.