Diversity isn’t simply good for your people, company culture and public relations — it’s also a key factor in business success. In fact, research demonstrates that companies that embrace diversity are 33% more likely to see above average profit margins. As companies push for innovation and growth, diverse teams account for much of this success. Leaders and managers need to support these teams through equity and fairness to encourage performance while also creating a safe and inclusive workplace where all employees feel valued.
Addressing unconscious biases and prejudices through self-investigation is a complex task that requires deep support from learning and development professionals. Your training program needs to be carefully thought through and tailored to the unique needs of your employees and your company. Identifying moments of learning requires everyone at your company to be engaged with open minds and hearts. This article examines why diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) training is a critical part of a company’s success and, at the same time, why it needs to be developed and deployed with the learner in mind. Let’s begin by asking if DEI should be mandatory or voluntary, because the difference can impact the overall success of your initiative.
Why Does Mandatory Training Kill Engagement?
Companies consider diversity a mandatory core value of their culture. However, when it comes to DEI training, making the training mandatory can have the opposite of the intended effect. Forcing DEI training on employees can cause a number of issues that drive down engagement with the program. Feelings can arise that create defensiveness in reaction to being forced to take training that might not be perceived as necessary. In short, your program isn’t answering the question of “What’s in it for me?” One way to address this is to have clear messaging that outlines the importance of this training and what its intentions are. When employees are asked to support one another, they generally do it with ease. Conversely, when employees are made to feel they are being punished or scrutinized, they may put up their guard to protect themselves.
Asking employees to participate in DEI training as a means of supporting their co-workers and management is far more effective and attractive. By answering the question of “What’s in it for me?”, you are delivering the message that your company encourages open communication, camaraderie and positive team dynamics. The end results are high-functioning teams and higher employee morale.
The Elements of Successful Training Programs
Some of the key drivers of successful DEI training programs are built around social accountability and providing closer contact between employees. A Harvard Business Review article explains that, the more that managers are exposed to diversity and are encouraged to account for their hiring and promotion decisions, the more likely they are to address potential issues of unconscious bias. This makes sense. After all, when unilateral decisions are made behind closed doors, there is little incentive to examine them with a critical eye. With transparency around the decision-making process, we are compelled to justify and stand behind what we claim.
The same is true for the training itself. There are significant advantages to providing open, voluntary and visibly accessible DEI training. Employees can witness the inclusion of each other at meetings and sessions. They can actively participate or watch as peers engage in mentoring programs. This ability to see DEI training actively pursued within the workplace has a social effect in and of itself.
Embracing DEI isn’t a one-and-done corporate compliance task. Instead, L&D is charged with maintaining an ongoing solution delivered over time. The message needs to be consistently reinforced; otherwise, key learnings are likely to regress back into old behaviors and attitudes. One way to continue promoting DEI is to nurture a culture of mentoring within your organization. Employees that serve as mentors and/or mentees build strong professional relationships that foster a culture of inclusivity and promote career development for all.
DEI in the Hybrid Workplace
If you’re looking to succeed at delivering any kind of training, you need to be engaging. DEI training is no different — however, it can be a challenge to get it right. With the need to deliver remote training, the challenges are compounded. The pandemic has made it increasingly difficult to allow for interpersonal meetups and check-ins, both informal and intentional. Many companies see the value in upskilling leaders to better support their transition to a hybrid work environment. Providing effective leadership development to people managers is an essential part of empowering them and their teams. Skills such as communication, empathy, listening and collaboration are the building blocks of successful remote team management.
However, can DEI training be delivered effectively? It is entirely possible to deliver successful DEI training in a remote environment; however, it needs to be carefully designed to address the challenges that remote learning can bring. The hybrid workplace has forced many DEI training initiatives back behind closed doors. Employees no longer have a sense of physical presence with each other in the same way they did before pandemic restrictions were put in place. Learning and development (L&D) professionals are faced with the challenge of maintaining social contact and interaction during a time of social distancing and remote learning. Through a combination of technology and expert instructional design, L&D can deliver learner-centered experiences and personalized learning paths to encourage meaningful conversations around equity for all.
Reach out to us for more information on how to foster a culture of inclusivity and deliver effective diversity and inclusion programs in a hybrid workplace. Let us show you how you can develop a long-term DEI strategy to build a stronger and more resilient culture at your organization.
