Discriminating against an employee can cause that employee to believe that it is true. Prejudice is a major factor in discrimination. It is something that not all people are aware of as well as, can also cause a person to do less than what they are capable of doing. If a co-worker or boss says that an employee is stupid, then that employee will believe that he or she is stupid. Stereotypes can help you and hurt you depending on the stereotype.
Stereotypes can be a threat to performance.
On the other end of the spectrum, when you praise an employee they will have more motivation to do well. The reason why all of this happens is because of the anxiety that is caused by being judged. When an employee notices that they are being judged they become anxious and it is harder for them to concentrate on the task. If the employee is being judged on a stereotype, they may reject that stereotype, but still cannot avoid it. Steel advises employers to challenge their employees.