~ Diversity Training ~
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the Workplace
Diversity and inclusion training, or D&I training, refers to the learning element of diversity, equity and inclusion. The overall aim of diversity and inclusion initiatives, including diversity and inclusion training aims to increase knowledge and skill related to diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace or any other setting. Many types of workshops and learning sessions relate to diversity and inclusion training, such as Allyship, Unconscious Bias in the workplace, Race Inclusion, Safe spaces etc. To see a full list of what is currently on offer with us, look at the selection of our diversity, equity and inclusion training sessions below
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Given the rapidly changing field of equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI), we are constantly adding more learning sessions to our offering, so check back frequently to see our updated offering. Or get in touch to speak to us about how we can help you meet your EDI goals.
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Online or in-person TraininG
Diversity and inclusion training should be an ongoing and evolving process. It’s important to foster a culture where people feel comfortable discussing these topics openly and continue to learn and grow together.
DEI Workshops
Diversity and inclusion training is beneficial for both: individuals and organizations.
Please note that the specific content of these trainings can vary depending on the trainer, the organization’s goals, and the participants’ needs. Here are some common topics that may be covered:
- Understanding Diversity
- Intersectionality
- Allyship and Advocacy
- Cultural Competence
- Inclusive Leadership
- Communication and Language
- Managing Diversity Challenges
- Creating an Inclusive Culture
- Addressing Microaggressions
- Unconscious Bias
- Setting Goals and Measuring Progress
- Case Studies and Real-Life Scenarios
Common Questions about Diversity Training
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Many companies today are concerned with ensuring their ways of working, products and services are inclusive and equitable for their employees, clients, customers and partners.
Not only does diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) training help understand what DEI is and why it is important, but it will help the leaders of the organization, HR colleagues and anyone else in the business build a culture of inclusion, meet your DEI goals, and create a competitive advantage for your business.
Our diversity and inclusion training caters to both the public and private sectors, non-for profit organizations and even individualized coaching. We have delivered training across EMEA & the Americas.
We also offer other culture change products, such as listening circles, individual coaching, and workplace research.
Learn more about us and our learning methodology
Diversity and inclusion training, or D&I training, refers to the learning element of diversity, equity, and inclusion. The overall aim of diversity and inclusion initiatives, including diversity and inclusion training aims to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace or any other setting. Many types of workshops and learning sessions are offered within diversity and inclusion training, such as Allyship, Unconscious Bias in the workplace, Race Inclusion, etc. To see a full list of what is currently on offer, look at the selection of our diversity, equity, and inclusion training sessions here.
Participating in diversity and inclusion training allows participants to develop the skills, behaviors and knowledge necessary to interact respectfully and effectively with colleagues, customers, and clients from diverse backgrounds, creating more culturally aware and compassionate workplaces. Overall, increased sense of belonging and enhanced cultural awareness leads to better outcomes for individuals, organizations, and society as a whole.
Our engaging selection of diversity training is designed with the modern workplace in mind, and can be delivered in person or virtually.
All sessions are tailored to your organization, including sector, organization size and any current or prior circumstances.
While diversity and inclusion training cannot change cultures alone, it is a fundamental part of your DEI journey for several reasons, including:
- Awareness raising of inclusion: Diversity and Inclusion training helps to create a more inclusive workplace by raising awareness about different cultures, backgrounds, and perspectives. Awareness raising is always the first step to changing behaviors, and individuals must start by increasing their awareness.
- Enhanced communication: Much of what improves or reinforces positive workplace cultures is guided by respectful communication. Diversity and inclusion training can help empower people to have respectful conversations, using appropriate terminology and other tools to communicate on a daily basis. Diversity and Inclusion training can also help with fostering the right environment for colleagues to have difficult conversations. The ability to hold a safe space, communicate respectfully and hear differing opinions will lead to better collaboration, teamwork, and innovation.
- Reducing bias: Diversity training can help colleagues with bias in multiple ways. Training and facilitation on bias helps people understand what bias is, learn to identify bias in the workplace and help to reduce implicit biases that individuals may hold. By identifying and addressing these biases, employees can make more informed decisions and treat everyone more fairly, be it in hiring, promotion, work allocation decisions, or even communications.
- Meeting legal requirements: Organizations across the world are increasingly required by law to meet certain conditions and create inclusive environments for their employees. For example, in the UK, companies must ensure their employees and customers are protected from harassment and discrimination. One powerful way to ensure your organization has done its due diligence is to provide diversity and inclusion training to employees. While this is not the only action an organization should take, it is certainly a required minimum for legal compliance.
- Enhancing brand and reputation: By demonstrating a commitment to diversity and inclusion, organizations can enhance their reputation as socially responsible and inclusive employers. Responsible and inclusive businesses are more successful at attracting and retaining talented employees, clients, and customers who value diversity and inclusion.
Overall, diversity training is an important step towards creating a more equitable and inclusive workplace, improving communication, reducing bias, meeting legal requirements, and enhancing an organization’s reputation.
Diversity and inclusion training should complement the other D&I activities you’ve planned, and fit into your overall D&I or People strategy. Most organizations use diversity and inclusion training to upskill colleagues for a particular skill or knowledge set (i.e. bystander intervention) that improves workplace culture. If you need support creating a diversity and inclusion strategy, please get in touch and we can help.
If you don’t have a People Strategy or don’t have the remit to create one, the following guidance will help you to understanding which courses you may need:
- Look at your data. If you have HRIS or People data you can analyze, cut recruitment and progression rates by gender and ethnicity, and if you see trends that point to systematic discrimination, you may want to consider our Foundations of DEI, Unconscious Bias training or Conversations about Race sessions. These sessions will get people thinking about their own biases and help them interrupt bias when making people decisions
- Listen to your employees: Conduct listening circles (we can help with this) and look at your staff surveys to understand what employees are saying about the culture and what needs improvement. Depending on what comes up, you may want to consider our Active bystander training, Foundations of inclusion or Allyship training
- Look at your leaders: What do they need from a DEI perspective? Are they struggling to drive the DEI agenda? If so, talk to us about DEI coaching for leaders. Do they needa basic understanding of what DEI entails or tools for inclusive language? Consider DEI terminology, foundations of DEI or Unconscious bias.
- Use your own experience: If you work within People or HR teams, think about what you’ve heard from colleagues and what you see around you. Do employees understand the foundations of an inclusive culture, and are people using inclusive terminology? Consider how advanced your organization is with DEI, as allyship sessions are better suited to organizations that have the foundations in place.
- Consider the needs of people managers, who are often lynchpins to a positive culture. Are they using inclusive language, do they know about their own unconscious bias? Training for people managers can make a big difference when it comes to the happiness of your employees.
Please get in touch to have a conversation about your needs, however far in your DEI journey you are.
Once you’ve decided what kind of training your organization needs and for whom, you need a strategy in place for the successful implementation of these sessions. Here are some top tips when it comes to rolling out and supporting your diversity and inclusion training:
- Gain leadership support
Ensure that senior leaders and decision-makers in your organization understand the importance of diversity and inclusion training and are behind the initiatives. It also helps to have them involved in some way. They can open up a session to give it more gravitas, or use an internal comms channel to comment on how important the training is to them personally and the organization.
2. Develop a wider strategy
Training should only be one aspect of your diversity, equity and inclusion strategy. The other activities or workstreams of your strategy should complement and reinforce one another. Furthermore, all of these activities should be working towards a specific target, which you can measure, i.e. workplace inclusion, diversity by grade, etc.
3.Evaluate the training program
If you’ve set up your programme or training sessions to reach a specific goal, you should already have a method of determining success. You can use a variety of direct metrics such as an NPS score, learner self-evaluation or gather anecdotal feedback from learners on the session. However, remember that culture change can take longer than learning technical skills, so be patient and keep in mind that even a small win is success!
4. Revisit the content
Its not enough to hold one conversation about diversity and inclusion: always ensure you know what you are taking away from the sessions and where you can implement the learnings. For example, if you undertake an unconscious bias training session, speak with your recruitment team about how they can revisit this content before hiring decisions. Some companies ask hiring teams to take a 20 minute learning refresher on unconscious bias in interviews before seeing candidates. Other companies have implemented diverse hiring panels that include a trained staff member to spot bias in panel interviews.
5. Resource the initiatives
Don’t make the mistake of thinking your external trainer is the only resource needed. Organizations should dedicate an internal point of contact, preferably from the learning and development team, to work with the external trainer on the training program and initiatives. This is important to ensure the evaluation questions are bespoke to your organization, that your trainers know about your wider strategy and are aware of any contextual factors, and that your in-house contact has the time to follow up and communicate with the external trainer.
For more top tips or to hear about what we’d recommend for you, get in touch.
Diversity training can have a significant influence on organizations, including:
- Improved employee satisfaction and retention: When employees feel that their organization values diversity and inclusion, they are more likely to feel satisfied with their work and remain with the company for longer periods of time.
- Increased productivity: A diverse and inclusive workforce can lead to greater creativity, innovation, and problem-solving, which can translate to increased productivity for the organization.
- Better decision-making: By understanding and valuing diverse perspectives, employees are better equipped to make informed decisions that take into account the needs and perspectives of different stakeholders.
- Enhanced reputation: By demonstrating a commitment to diversity and inclusion, organizations can enhance their reputation and brand image, which can help to attract and retain top talent and customers.
- Legal compliance: Many organizations are required by law to provide diversity and inclusion training to their employees. By providing this training, organizations can ensure they are meeting their legal obligations and avoid potential legal issues.
- Improved customer satisfaction: By valuing diversity and inclusion, organizations can better understand and meet the needs of a diverse customer base, which can lead to increased customer satisfaction and loyalty.
Overall, diversity training can have a positive influence on an organization by improving employee satisfaction and retention, increasing productivity, enhancing decision-making, enhancing reputation, meeting legal requirements, and improving customer satisfaction.