The Importance of DEI Training in the Workplace
In this article, we explore:
What is DEI Training?
The meteoric rise of multiculturalism in the workforce has made DEI training no longer a “nice-to-have”, but a “must-have” in the corporate world. Since 2020, DEI-related jobs have increased by 60% and about 86% of large financial companies are planning to increase investments in DEI training programs.
But it’s not without its own sets of challenges, and adopting the right strategy is important to guarantee its success. So, what is DEI training and how can you implement it more effectively?
Let’s take a look at how proper DEI training programs can have a resounding impact on your company and support your growth.
DEI or Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion training is defined as “intentional education to recognize and address how power, privilege, and how society affects personal identities, including race, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, gender, etc.”
The history of DEI training programs started in the mid-1960s when important societal movements created a different corporate landscape. With a more diverse workforce, companies implemented these trainings so that employees can acclimate better to their surroundings.
In the beginning, DEI programs were only focused on racial discrimination and a simple list of “dos” and “don’ts” in the workplace. It was only in the 1980s and 1970s that DEI programs shifted into a broader spectrum. Nowadays, training programs recognize not only race, but also gender and other identity groups, such as ethnic, religious, and sexual orientations.
Although DEI training has faced challenges and criticisms, it continues to evolve and adapt to the changing corporate landscape. Aside from its broadening scope, different approaches are also implemented. DEI programs are not just merely to-do lists, but may also involve listening sessions and the use of digital platforms to create more reach.
Why DEI Training is Necessary
Globalization and progress have made the workforce more diverse than ever. According to the Washington Post, most new hires ages 25 to 54 years old in the USA were people of color in the year 2019. This trend has continued over the years, as populations under age 18 are now mostly minorities, which means that multiracial and ethnic minorities will slowly become the norm. In addition, future generations are also more likely to identify as LGBT compared to their older counterparts.
There’s a reason why most companies adopt a more diverse workforce. Inclusive teams were found to have made better decisions up to 87% of the time, twice as fast, and with only ½ the meetings needed. Furthermore, a follow-up found that decisions made by inclusive teams delivered 60% better results compared to less diverse ones.
This might be due to more diverse knowledge and perspective that can lead to progressive creative thinking and problem-solving. Inclusive teams are also less likely to encounter biased thought processes that could hinder a more effective or efficient decision. These insights have shown opportunities for DEI, as better decision-making means more potential to improve business performance.
To deal with this changing landscape, proper DEI training programs are widely available to support your workplace. Education across all levels of an organization ensures better acceptance, less friction, improved employee satisfaction, a higher retention rate, and more productivity.
What’s Included in DEI Training?
Maybe you’re all ready to invest in DEI training, but you might want to understand where to start first? Most companies begin with the basics first before continuing with advanced training materials.
Introductory training materials - These are foundational training that can introduce employees to the concept of DEI. Topics include fundamentals of diversity and inclusion and unconscious bias. These are topics that everyone in the organization will benefit from.
Advanced training materials - After employees are aware of the basics of DEI, we can continue and provide in-depth content. Topics include microaggressions, bystander intervention, and inclusive leadership. These topics are geared more towards managers, Human Resources professionals, and Employee Resource Groups.
Materials can be customized according to an organization’s needs, but those two categories encompass many of the topics that are usually included in DEI training.
Challenges in Implementing DEI Training
Educating your employees regarding DEI is important to foster an inclusive environment, but getting it right can be difficult! Here are some challenges you might face in implementing DEI training:
The positive effects of DEI training may off after a short time, that’s why short one-shot sessions should be booked over the course of the year.
Some employees may challenge the training when they feel like they’re being pushed and they perceive this as an obstacle to them. Properly experienced trainers communicate with empathy to show that employees still hold some form of control over their choices.
A mismatch between the goals of training and outcomes is used to evaluate it. Organizations should understand that there is no “silver bullet” DEI training session that can tackle all issues at once.
Many factors can contribute to its effectiveness, such as management commitment and policies. DEI training can’t act alone to change the corporate landscape, but it should be a concerted effort supported by other initiatives.
Customizing the training program for different groups with different levels of knowledge and awareness can be tricky. Hence the different buckets of training types that stand to engage learners wherever they are in their journey.
Benefits of DEI Training
When DEI training is carefully designed, you can reap these benefits:
Changes in knowledge and awareness. In particular improvement in knowledge of specific terms, cultural knowledge, cultural essentialism, enhanced self-awareness, and perceived importance of recognizing biases and improving diversity.
Changes in employees’ attitudes. For example, minorities are more confident to act on their ideas and increase participation in amplifying and teaching DEI principles within the organization.
Improved positive feelings and empathy toward marginalized groups.
Changes in skills and behaviors, including improved conflict resolution skills, increased familiarity with skills needed to work in a culturally and racially diverse team, the tendency to foster an inclusive environment, and less likely to exhibit racial prejudice.
Higher employee retention and thus lower financial costs of hiring.
Increased staff competencies, ensuring compliance, and performance in general.
Companies that have executed DEI training effectively could become more efficient and perform better financially.
Case Study: Critical Role of DEI Training
Companies are aware of the benefit of having a diverse and inclusive workforce, which is why DEI has become a priority for most of them. On the other hand, many still struggle to implement the right strategy. Here are some case examples where DEI training could have been useful to invest in:
Walmart
Walmart is one of the biggest companies in the world, both in size and revenue. The company has been investing in DEI efforts in recent years, one of them being its tuition assistance and career mobility program called Live Better U.
Walmart’s efforts are applauded, and unfortunately the company also has its share of blunders along their journey. One of these blunders is the release of its Juneteenth Ice Cream product line in 2022. The ice cream was deemed insensitive, as it there were concerns voiced that the company was trying to profit from the holiday with roots of slavery, violence, and discrimination.
Walmart has since removed the item and apologized. Critics have voiced their protest in social media, highlighting that this may not have happened if diverse voices were used when making strategic business decisions.
Delta Air Lines
Delta is a major airline in the US and has a reputation as one of the oldest operating carriers worldwide. Despite its standing, the airline encountered a DEI incident just a few years ago. In 2018, a woman was showing signs of distress and in need of medical attention on a Delta flight from Indianapolis to Boston.
Dr. Fatima Cody Stanford, who is Black, happened to sit next to the passenger and started to help her. A flight attendant immediately approached them and asked to see Dr. Stanford’s credentials, to which she responded by showing her medical license.
As she continued to help the passenger, another flight attendant approached and asked to see the license again. The two flight attendants then came together and started asking questions about Dr. Fatima’s experience to verify her claims.
After the incident, Dr. Stanford voiced her opinion on social media and spoke to local news outlets, sparking protests from the public. As a follow-up, Delta offered unconscious bias training for all of its flight attendants to prevent similar incidents from happening again.
Citigroup
A former manager filed a discrimination case that includes accusations against a senior executive at the bank. According to the woman who filed the complaint, the executive had repeatedly encouraged a sexist environment.
The executive and other male colleagues often discussed past and prospective sexual conquests, making the women uncomfortable. The complainant's initiatives were often ignored by the executive, while he allegedly welcomed male colleagues with open arms.
Before resigning, the complainant gave the bank's team evidence of harassment to follow up on, but no action was taken. Further investigation by the media found that the harassment was already endemic in the business unit.
DEI Training at CultureAlly
At CultureAlly, both the basic and advanced topics are covered. There’s also the option of creating your own customized DEI training, which is great for companies with diverse levels of awareness. CultureAlly provides a broad spectrum of training materials, which includes:
Foundations of DEI - Basic understanding of the key concepts of DEI and the benefits of DEI. Participants will gain an understanding of internal, external, and organizational dimensions of diversity.
Allyship - Defining what allyship is and what is an ally. Participants will learn actionable applications on how they can become an ally.
Implicit bias - Participants will gain an understanding of how unconscious bias happens and how to mitigate it.
Interview Bias - Participants will understand how unconscious bias affects the interview process and how to reduce its impact.
Cultural Competence - Introducing participants to the importance of inclusive language, how to avoid microaggressions, and develop intercultural competency skills.
Inclusive Leadership - Created for managers and leaders, in this session leaders will review and reflect on the intersection of power and privilege in their roles. They’ll also learn actionable applications for inclusive decision-making.
Anti-Racism - Participants learn the connection between the history of racism, how it leads to inequity, and systemic racism that’s still present today.
Multigenerational Workforce - Explores the topic of age diversity within the workplace and how to foster an inclusive environment where everyone feels a sense of belonging.
Anti-Harassment - Participants gain an understanding of what is considered harassment and how to deal with it.
Inclusive Hiring - This focuses on the importance of inclusive hiring and how a diverse workforce can benefit companies. Participants will also explore how bias can affect the hiring process and how to mitigate it.
Bystander Intervention - Participants will understand the bystander effect, our role as bystanders, strategies for effective intervention, and overcoming barriers.
Microaggressions - Participants will learn why microaggressions happen in the workplace and how to mitigate them.
Creating Inclusive Workplaces - Tangible actions that participants can employ to create a more inclusive work environment.
Discrimination - Provides the necessary skills for recognizing and mitigating discrimination in the workplace.
LGBTQ+ - This session covers all LGBTQ+ identities and tangible actions to create a more welcoming environment, policies, and practices.
Disability Awareness - Participants will be equipped with the knowledge and skills necessary to foster disability awareness in the organization.
Anti-Sexual Harassment - Review the broader concept of harassment and focus on sexual harassment in the workplace. We’ll discuss examples and review tactics to prevent it from happening.
Neurodiversity - Participants will understand more about neurodivergent individuals and how to foster a more inclusive environment for neurodiverse employees.
Indigenous Awareness - Educates participants on the cultures, histories, and realities of Indigenous peoples in North America.
Observance Training - Topics include Black History Month, International Women's Day, Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, Pride, Juneteenth, National Native American History Month, Truth and Reconciliation, Latin American Heritage Month, and more.
Customized DEI Training - You can also consult us, at CultureAlly, to design and customize DEI training according to your organization’s needs!
Helpful Checklist for Implementing DEI Training
So, how do you start your DEI training program? Before you jump ahead, observe this checklist and get ready to take action:
Examine the need for a more inclusive work environment in your organization, how far along are your DEI initiatives?
Find out existing DEI issues in your organization and what has been done previously.
Take note of the groups you would want to include in the DEI training sessions. Consider race, religious groups, culture, generation, gender, or others.
Discuss training needs with people in your organization, and ask for input from employees.
Make a list of topics that seem suitable for your organization.
Create smaller training groups and determine which module should be used for each group accordingly.
If you’re a little overwhelmed, fret not, give us a buzz! We’re happy to chat about how we can help, all you have to do is take the first step towards a happy, balanced workplace!