Designing Effective Diversity Training in the Workplace

Introduction

Diversity training is a concept that sometimes invites skepticism — do people really need to be taught about diversity? We are all individuals with unique backgrounds and characteristics, so is it not a step backward to categorize people based on phenotype, national origin, or religion? The subtle nuances may never be perfectly captured. Yet the reality is that all organizations experience some form of diversity precisely because people differ across the world. In all but the smallest communities, groups with different backgrounds and cultures coexist. When an organization operates globally, the ability to work smoothly with many different types of people becomes a critical success factor.

Furthermore, what seems like common sense to an intelligent person should be tempered by the old saying that "there's nothing common about common sense." Organizations do need to educate their people about diversity and the issues it raises. A company that competes globally needs to present a consistent face to the world — a common organizational culture that includes an understanding of the world's people and how to interact with them effectively.

Course Objectives

Before setting up any training course, an organization needs to understand why the course is important, as this will help define its objectives. At the most basic level, there is the legal dimension. Laws exist that prohibit discrimination based on a number of factors — gender, race, religion, and ethnicity among them — and local jurisdictions may extend these protections further. Every organization needs to understand the legal framework governing discrimination, because all members of the organization are bound to follow those laws, and failure to do so creates legal liability for the entire enterprise. Ensuring compliance must therefore be the first objective of any diversity training program.

The second objective is to establish a consistent organizational culture with respect to diversity. The organization can determine for itself what specific elements that culture will comprise, but the training should aim to develop a shared approach so that the way the company handles diversity is implemented consistently across all of its operations. This consistency matters both for compliance and because a strong organizational culture provides clarity for employees. There will inevitably be times when corporate culture diverges from an individual's personal views; employees must understand what the corporate culture requires and that it takes precedence.

A further reason for building a common organizational culture around diversity is that every employee arrives with a different starting point. Some come from highly cosmopolitan backgrounds and may need little instruction on this subject. Others require considerably more. The objective is that all employees, regardless of their starting point, leave the training with the same understanding of diversity and of how it manifests in the organizational culture.

Types of Training

Diversity training takes many forms, and its structure often reflects its objectives. Ferdman and Brody (1996), in an early study, observed that such training can range from a "one-hour briefing to an organization-wide change initiative," with every variation in between. Training can be delivered online or offline, can focus on scenarios, on general education, or on both, and may or may not include formal assessments. The structure of any given program will ultimately depend on the budget available and the importance the organization places on the training.

To reduce costs, it is recommended that the majority of training be conducted online. There should, however, be an offline component, and this should occur at two key moments: once at the outset, to set the tone and communicate the program's purpose, and once at the conclusion, to evaluate whether the training has met its objectives. The company should employ a dedicated in-house trainer who is supported by a reasonable budget and by visible endorsement from the CEO. Research suggests that training is more likely to be retained when employees understand that the impetus for it comes from the highest levels of the organization (Chapman, 2002). The trainer should be an expert in both the subject matter and workplace training delivery, so that no performance gaps undermine the program. Investing adequately in a well-designed training program is worth the cost.

The introductory offline session should articulate the desired organizational culture around diversity and explain why the training is necessary. The online course should then serve as the focal point of the actual learning. Readings are particularly recommended. Scenarios are deliberately de-emphasized as the primary teaching tool because, although they seem intuitive, real-life situations are invariably more complex, more nuanced, and may look very different from any scenario presented in a course. Employees who have only encountered stylized scenarios may simply pattern-match rather than genuinely understand the underlying concepts — and true understanding can only come from deeper engagement with the material. Staff mentors should also be available as part of the program, since some employees benefit from having a person to talk with as they work through these ideas.

The final in-person session with the trainer should center on discussion. One of the most effective ways people come to understand diversity is by encountering it and making it personal. When someone has limited experience of people different from themselves, they may not fully appreciate just how different others can be. Genuine, meaningful dialogue helps break down those barriers. Lastly, the program should address how diversity issues affect specific parts of the organization. As Derald (1991) noted, diversity has a particularly strong impact on human resources, global marketing, and systemic discrimination — making these natural focal points for the training.

Conclusion

Training for diversity is challenging for a number of reasons, but it is important not just for compliance but to build an organizational culture that supports diversity and understands its value. Diversity is best handled when every member of the organization shares an understanding of its importance and can engage with differences between people with openness and even good humor.

The diversity training program must therefore be conducted over a sustained period of time and focused specifically on building that organizational culture — making diversity a genuine part of it. This is the only way to ensure that behaviors remain consistent throughout the organization. Short bursts of training are insufficient. Many individual training touchpoints can be brief and informal; it is the repetition that makes them effective, as the messages gradually become woven into the corporate culture. Cultural diversity training is an imperative. The legal and ethical consequences of neglecting it are significant, and no organization can afford to ignore them.

References

Chapman, J. (2002). A framework for transformational change in organisations. Leadership and Organization Development Journal, 23(1), 16–25.

Ferdman, B., & Brody, S. (1996). Models of diversity training. Handbook of Intercultural Training. Retrieved March 29, 2015, from http://bernardoferdman.org/Articles/Ferdman_Brody1996_models_of_div_training.pdf

Derald, S. (1991). A model for cultural diversity training. Journal of Counseling & Development, 70(1), 99–105.

Scott, S. (2015). Cultural diversity training & education in the workplace. Houston Chronicle. Retrieved March 29, 2015, from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/cultural-diversity-training-education-workplace-1853.html