Many institutions and workplaces will place emphasis on equality when often the missing component is equity.

Equity is about ensuring fair access to resources and opportunities while recognizing and addressing the unique lived experiences, pre-existing barriers and circumstances that are at play and prevent fair access to these opportunities and resources.

When you have policies that don’t consider different lived experiences, your organization inadvertently harms your employees. 

Like many organizations, you may be exploring ways you can make your workplace more diverse, equitable and inclusive. Equity training allows your workplace to address any policies or practices that are potentially harmful to your employees.

By calling out and addressing any weak points in your agency, you are taking an important step forward to ensure a happier and healthier workplace. All employees, regardless of their background or experience level, want to feel seen, heard and included in their workplace.

Equity training aims to help workplaces become more diverse, equitable and inclusive for employees from underrepresented or historically marginalized groups. This training will increase your organization's awareness of inequality and biases. 

A more diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace leads to happier, healthier and more motivated employees, which in turn leads to lower turnover and an increase in collaboration, innovation and understanding.

Types of Equity Training:

When looking to improve or build equity in your organization, there are a few different types of Equity Training that can help your workplace. It is up to your team to determine what type of training will benefit your workplace most. What are their needs and goals?

• D&I Equity Training
  D&I Equity Training will aid you in creating an inclusive workplace culture in which all employees are seen, heard and valued. It’s important for this work to begin with education and senior-level support. Come together as an organization and identify what areas of your organization need to be re-examined and re-worked to improve how your employees experience the workplace. 

• Unconscious Bias Training
  Unconscious Biases are preconceived thoughts and notions we’ve formed about different groups of people or experiences. These preconceived thoughts and notions can often harm employees from historically marginalized backgrounds and can create a hostile or uncomfortable work environment. Unconscious Bias Training allows your organization and its members to address and unpack these biases and connect with people whose experiences differ from theirs. This training works to improve the snap judgements that are made during the hiring process, annual reviews and in everyday workplace encounters. 

• Intercultural Sensitivity Training
  Our world is made up of so many different communities, and so are our workplaces. Sometimes a lack of education or understanding can lead to a myriad of problems, such as misunderstandings and disagreements and contribute to your unconscious biases, and this can create an uncomfortable workplace and ultimately decrease productivity and employee happiness. Intercultural Sensitivity Training helps employees create awareness and understanding to value each unique culture and religion. This training aids employees understand that cultural differences DO exist and embrace them in stride rather than allowing them to hinder communication and socialization. 
  

Steps for Implementing Equity Training

1. Identify objectives
   Objectives will aid your organization in rounding out their vision and mission. This will help create a culture of accountability and buy-in.

2. Select Appropriate Training Facilitator
   Facilitators have different strategies and resources they lean on to aid them in their training. It’s important to find the right fit for your organization. 

3. Design customized curriculum
   There is no one size fits all strategy, teaching or program. As an organization, you can come together and decide what will work best for your team and where your needs are. 

4. Schedule Training and Logistics
   Equity Training takes time, resources and organization. By setting regular training times, a timeline and coordinators, your organization will stay on track with your equity training goals. 

5. Monitor Progress
   Just as with any training and goal,  it’s important to set benchmarks and touch bases with your team to see how they are doing and whether you need to regroup and strategize. Monitoring progress gives your team the opportunity to celebrate their wins!

As you work to integrate your equity training into your workplace, there is a chance you may run into some risks and obstacles, such as organizational push-back, unconscious biases and a lack of understanding that may prevent the successful implementation of new initiatives and policies.

To help you mitigate these risks, it’s important to make sure all employees are included, and a part of the conversation as you begin your equity training. Transparency and communication are key to ensuring a successful implementation of your Equity Training. You should also consider the positives of exploring equity training: 

Benefits of Equity Training

• Builds Inclusive Workplace Culture
  When employees feel included, valued and seen in the workplace, they are happier, more motivated and more engaged in the workplace and with their peers. By increasing engagement in the workplace, you are also increasing communication and collaboration. A more collaborative and open workplace allows for greater ideas and innovation, thanks to the inclusion of diverse backgrounds and ideas. This creates a positive and inclusive workplace culture that is bound to attract and retain new talent from all backgrounds and communities. 

• Increases collaboration and productivity
  Workplaces that have undergone Equity Training find that employees are happier, more motivated and more engaged with their workplace and peers. An equitable and inclusive workplace creates job satisfaction and empowers employees to openly and confidently exchange ideas. This will in turn decrease turnover, increase retention and encourage employees to share their positive experience at the workplace with potential new employees.

• Enhances understanding of different perspectives 
  By learning to understand one other better, you are improving communication in the workplace. In a truly inclusive and positive work environment, employees will feel confident and comfortable with lending their unique perspectives and will be receptive to receiving and considering differing opinions and ideas. 
  

It’s important to understand that your employees have unique lived experiences and circumstances that will impact how they experience and are treated in the workplace. Acknowledging this makes you one step closer to building a more inclusive workplace. 

An inclusive workplace is key to cultivating a positive, engaged, safe workplace for all employees. Equity Training benefits not only the employee but the overall organization by increasing productivity and motivation, allowing the organization to reach their goals more quicker. 

Equity Training will help ensure that every member of your team has equitable and fair access to resources, support and opportunities. All employees have the right to be heard, seen and included in all facets of their organization. By addressing biases and beginning your journey to cultivating an equitable workplace, you are letting your employees know they matter to the organization.

While there is no quick fix when building a more inclusive workplace, Equity Training can help you begin the process of building a more diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace that will lead to increased employee happiness, motivation and engagement. 

Questions? Read More About DEI Training