How to organize diversity training for better employee engagement

Did you know that diverse and inclusive organizations are 8 times more likely to achieve better business results than others? 

Furthermore, did you know that inclusive teams have 2 times higher chances of reaching financial goals? 

Sounds good, doesn’t it? 

By creating diversity, companies become more adaptable and resilient to market changes because of plenty of different ideas and thoughts their employees can offer. 

However, to achieve this, employees must first embrace workplace diversity and undergo diversity training to make everything function well in a diverse collective. 

To help you understand the concept of diversity training, we have provided answers to some essential questions, such as: 

• What does diversity training mean?
• What are the basic types of diversity training? 
• What is the importance of diversity training? 
• How to implement diversity training? 

Let’s dive into it! 

What is diversity training?

Diversity training is a process in which a professional learns more about the importance of diversity in the workplace and embraces the uniqueness of each team member. 

Moreover, diversity training helps employees integrate into a team more quickly. 

Thanks to diversity training, employees also learn more about: 

• The benefits of challenging the formed beliefs and unconscious biases, 
• The importance of recognizing and fighting any kind of harassment or discrimination, 
• The best ways to boost colleagues’ morale, 
• The importance of contributing to the inclusive workplace on a daily basis, and 
• The colleagues of different backgrounds.

Let’s say that your company has hired someone who has never had an opportunity to work with people from different cultures and backgrounds. 

Naturally, they would need time to understand how things are going in the new environment. 

So, to help them appropriately adapt to the new environment and reduce the time they need to get the ball rolling, there is a diversity training program in place to expedite this. 

Thanks to the diversity training, the new employees would adapt quickly, and most importantly, they will embrace the diverse and inclusive culture. 

What are the types of diversity training? 

Since diversity training is about meeting all the ins and outs of workplace tolerance and understanding, specific diversity training types exist. 

Some are there to help employees learn about the basics of diversity, while others serve to foster tolerance and understanding not only in the workplace but in the community, as well. 

Let’s take a look at 5 diversity training examples. 

#1: Basic workplace diversity training

This type of training is intended for learning about the fundamental principles of diversity in the workplace. 

After completing the basic workplace diversity training, a professional should be more empathetic and respectful towards colleagues.

The company HR (team) usually holds a few one-on-one meetings during which employees can learn more about the following topics: 

• Anti-racism, 
• Anti-sexism,
• Gender equality, 
• Freedom of sexual orientation,
• Cultures in the workplace, and 
• Multigenerational workplace concept. 

#2: Diversity awareness training 

Once an employee is familiar with the basic principles of diversity and tolerance, it is paramount for them to learn more about their colleagues with different backgrounds. 

That’s where the awareness training steps in. 

While learning about the members of various minority groups represented in a team through the awareness training, an employee: 

• Listens to their stories, 
• Acquires knowledge about their identity, and 
• Familiarizes herself or himself with the main problems they might face daily. 

After a professional completes the awareness training, they should know to: 

• Respect every coworker’s identity, 
• Praise the differences in the team, 
• Find the middle ground with everyone and enhance productivity, and
• Fight prejudice. 

#3: Advanced diversity training

Constantly broadening the knowledge about diversity is one of the most critical factors for mitigating and preventing workplace discrimination. 

Hence, for all those employees who have completed the fundamental diversity and awareness training, there is an opportunity to take a step further — by completing the advanced diversity training. 

In other words, advanced diversity training is a sequel to awareness training. 

During the advanced diversity training, the employees will learn how to prevent and proactively fight discrimination everywhere it appears. 

Advanced diversity training encompasses: 

• Understanding the effects of unconscious biases, 
• Preventing stereotyping and microaggressions in the workplace, 
• Fostering teamwork and communication, 
• Learning more about cross-cultural communication, 
• Identifying potential oppression and discrimination, and 
• Applying the acquired knowledge in other spheres of life.  

Therefore, thanks to advanced diversity training, employees can forward knowledge about diversity and tolerance from the internal organization to society. 

#4: Virtual reality diversity training 

2021 was a breaking point in corporate diversity training. 

Well-off companies, such as Google, Amazon, and eBay, were test partners in virtual reality diversity training. 

Diversity training in virtual reality can be performed on smartphones, computers, laptops, or VR headsets. 

By taking part in it, employees will get almost first-hand experience of how it is to be oppressed and discriminated against. 

Since they also have the option to choose the response, participants will feel how hard it is to choose the right answer in such unpleasant situations. 

Their avatar can be exposed to any kind of discrimination, but it can also be a simple bystander who witnesses an unpleasant situation. 

In addition, by being a bystander witnessing discrimination, a professional trains their reaction if they ever witness anything similar in real life. 

VR diversity training might become a real game changer in diversity and inclusion training since it is the most practical solution for experiencing what others might face and raising awareness about discrimination. 

Most importantly, it is proven that the VR experience increases empathy, which is one of the biggest contributors to the overall positive atmosphere in the workplace. 

#5: Remote diversity training

Since many companies have embraced full remote or hybrid work models, and as a result, business communication trends have changed, professionals must undergo some training online. 

Diversity training is no exception. 

Our contributor, Dominic K. Hawkins, Founder and Principal at Factotum, who specializes in communication and public relations, confirms that delivering quality online diversity training might be tough, but, according to him, it is still doable: 

In any case, thanks to various business communication platforms that feature video conferencing, such as Pumble, creating and taking online training has never been easier. 

Just follow the steps below.

Step #1: Create a remote training program 

Remote training programs should encompass everything needed for effective diversity training. 

Hence, only experienced HR professionals should create a remote training program because they know what to include and how to devise a successful communication approach. 

They know what aspects require more attention and how to overcome potential struggles. 

Also, they have the skills to observe whether the professional understands what is being said or if they need additional explanation. 

Step #2: Combine remote and on-site training 

No one likes forced diversity training at work. 

Hence, it is essential to make a professional interested in what you have to say and explain the benefits of on-site training. 

For example, a professional can undergo basic diversity training remotely, but appear in person for diversity awareness and advanced diversity training. 

That way, they will combine theory and practice. 

Step #3: Test knowledge about diversity 

Now, when professionals have learned something new and potentially even meet with someone from a minority group, the learning process should not stop. 

When someone works remotely, they might not be in touch with their colleagues. 

As a result, they might forget what they have learned about cultural differences and interpersonal communication. 

Therefore, HR should conduct occasional diversity audits via virtual meetings, ask diversity-related questions, and check if professionals’ stances or attitudes have changed. 

Furthermore, HR professionals and managers could schedule (if possible) a week of on-site work to assess employees’ attitudes towards others and see how they work in a team. 

Is diversity training required by law?

No, diversity training is not currently required by law anywhere in the world. 

Dominic shares that he would never prefer diversity training to become mandatory because it wouldn’t produce the desired results: 

According to Dominic, there are better methods to incentivize professionals to learn more about diversity: 

In any case, according to a study conducted by World at Work, 83% of companies in the USA, perform some kind of activities intended to raise awareness about diversity, equity, and inclusion. 

The results confirm US companies are aware that every initiative spreading the word about diversity and inclusion is welcome.  

Furthermore, it leads to various benefits about which we will learn more below. 

What are the benefits of diversity training?

Many businesspeople still ask: “Why is diversity training important?” or “What do we get by spending precious time on diversity training?”

The answers are embodied in the following list of concrete benefits of diversity training. 

Benefit #1: Diversity training increases employee engagement and retention

According to one of our contributors, Beth Castle, a Managing Editor at InHerSight, one of the most essential benefits of diversity training is the fact that it fosters employee engagement and retention. 

Beth says:

Indeed, various studies about diversity and inclusion in business confirm that diverse teams outperform homogeneous ones. 

An HR Generalist at CAKE.com, Ena Popovic, has a similar opinion. She adds:

Benefit #2: Diversity training stops conflicts before they happen

Nobody likes workplace conflicts. 

They hinder employee productivity and contribute to a negative atmosphere. We should avoid them at all costs. 

One of the ways to stop conflicts in teams is to undergo diversity training. 

Our contributor, Ena Popovic, explains:

Hence, to avoid conflicts, learn more about the people you work with. 

As stated above, the best way to learn about them is through awareness and advanced diversity training. 

Benefit #3: Diversity training results in attracting talents

Talented professionals want to work in companies that embrace diversity and allow individuals to grow. 

Hence, it is essential to constantly work on creating a positive and tolerant atmosphere by implementing diversity training. 

As an experienced HR professional, Ena Popovic confirms that a company will be more attractive if it has a clear positive stance on diversity: 

The recent trends in the job market confirm Ena’s words. 

Research conducted by the British Psychological Society states that 50% of job-seekers think of diversity as an important social issue and want to hear the employer’s stance on that topic. 

On the other hand, many would say that for Millenials and Gen Z, a diverse workplace is not a preference, but a requirement. 

Benefit #4: Diversity training increases the company’s revenue

Diverse, tolerant, and inclusive companies earn more — and that is a fact. 

Let’s look at the results of the study that compared the financial results of more diverse and homogeneous companies: 

• Racially diverse companies had 15 times higher revenue than those with the lowest levels of racial diversity. 
• Companies that foster gender diversity earned $599.1 million more than those in which gender diversity is not the top priority. 
• Companies with racially diverse staff had an average of 35,000 customers, while more homogeneous teams had around 22,700. 

Bearing in mind Deloitte’s research mentioned before, which states that diverse corporate teams have a 2 times better chance to reach financial goals, we get solid proof that fostering and training diversity in the workplace increases the company’s revenue. 

Benefit #5: Diversity training is the right thing to do

In the era of increased divisions and fights over sensitive topics, we intuitively know that diversity must be preserved. 

Giving equal opportunity and treatment to employees regardless of their skin color, background, or identity is just the right thing to do. 

Beth Castle states that doing the right thing should be everyone’s primary motive for organizing diversity training:

Dominic K. Hawkins agrees that learning about others is essential and beneficial in the long run: 

How to implement diversity training for managers?

We don’t want the world to become an Orwellian place where “everyone is equal, but some are more equal than others”. 

Hence, managers must undergo the same diversity training as employees. 

Our contributor, an HR Generalist at CAKE.com, Aleksandra Babic, highlights the importance of managers completing the diversity training:  

However, the diversity training topics may differ a little, since the nature of managers’ positions might be different from employees’. 

Beth Castle pinpoints that managers should pay more attention to communication and a better understanding of employees’ needs: 

The following tips might help you in implementing diversity and inclusion training for managers.

Tip #1: Define the goals of diversity training

Once you propose your management to undergo diversity training, it is essential to provide a list of its goals and an analysis of what the company gets from that. 

Babic explains: 

While defining the objectives of diversity training, you can also give examples of concrete skills the employees will learn that will help them acquire new knowledge or increase their productivity. 

Tip #2: Plan diversity training sessions

Planning diversity training takes time. 

It is crucial to be careful while devising it, since an inattentive approach towards it may even cause negative effects. 

Babic shares her views on planning diversity and inclusion training for managers: 

She also emphasizes the importance of choosing the right topics and scenarios for training: 

So, follow Babic’s advice:  

• Carefully plan each session, 
• Think about the topics and scenarios you will talk about, and 
• Discuss the takeaways with managers.

Tip #3: Provide literature about diversity

Benjamin Franklin once said: “Tell me, and I forget, teach me, and I may remember, involve me, and I learn.”

In other words, if you want managers, employees, or anybody else to learn what you preach, you must make them interested and involved. 

Once they start reading about the topics you talked about during diversity training sessions, you may say you have done a terrific job. That means you have made your employees actively involved in the topic. 

Hence, to foster their involvement in diversity and tolerance-related topics, recommend some good literature, TV shows, or podcasts to your employees. 

Babic agrees that it is good to provide additional materials:

How to implement diversity training for employees? 

There is not much difference between diversity training for managers and employees. Both promote: 

• A culture of heterogeneity, 
• Tolerance, and 
• Inclusion. 

Castle highlights that both training sessions serve the same higher purpose:

Due to their similarities even the tips for implementing are pretty much alike. 

Tip #1: Assess the situation regarding diversity in the workplace

Before creating the right type of corporate diversity training, it is vital to assess to what degree the employees are familiar with diversity and tolerance-related topics. 

Babic agrees and recommends a thorough approach to assessment:

You can conduct an assessment by organizing 1-on-1 meetings with employees or by observing their behavior towards one another continually. 

Tip #2: Highlight your goals and create a diversity training program  

Just like you define goals when implementing diversity training to management, you need to be clear with the objectives of diversity training for employees. 

Once you have assessed the employees’ knowledge level about diversity and inclusion, consider defining the targets of their diversity training. 

Castle confirms that you must clearly define the goals: 

She also adds that employees should have a role in creating a diversity training program: 

A thorough preparation and a set of goals should be a clear sign that your team is ready for the beginning of diversity training. 

Tip #3: Add “a commitment to learning about diversity” to performance assessment

As it is said above, diversity training should never be mandatory. 

You don’t want employees to hate diversity training because it hinders their usual work activities or causes them to delay their usual work. 

But…

To make employees more interested in cultural diversity training in the workplace, you may include their interest in learning about diversity in regular performance assessments. 

That doesn’t mean you should punish those who don’t show too much enthusiasm for diversity training. 

On the contrary, if they are professional, work well, and get along with others fine, there are no problems. 

Including diversity training in the performance assessment is just a plus for those eager to learn and constantly change themselves for the better. 

As Babic says, it is a reward for the diligent ones but also — an additional motive for others: 

What are the limits of diversity training?

We have learned there are a plethora of benefits you can get by undergoing diversity training, but are there some limits to the approach?

Unfortunately, there are. The noble idea of diversity training has its limits. 

Limit #1: Occasional lack of concrete results 

First of all, many would say that sometimes we can’t see the concrete results of diversity training. 

In other words — we don’t always know whether it is effective or not. 

Hence, HR departments cannot evaluate appropriately what has been done and what else should be done in the future. 

Limit #2: Employees might leave 

Inclusion and Diversity training is not for everyone. 

Although professionals might be experts in certain areas, if their opinion is a potential threat to the good atmosphere and tolerance in the team, they should leave. 

Hawkins warns that professionals who swim upstream might be a challenge during the diversity training: 

On the other hand, there are employees who might think not enough has been done during the diversity training, so they might decide to leave. 

But, Popovic says there are accompanying factors that also contribute to an employee leaving in this case: 

She emphasizes that undergoing diversity training just because everyone undergoes it, might end up in trust issues between a company and its employees: 

After all, shaken trust is one of the biggest contributors to employee resignation. 

Limit #3: Lack of support from the management 

“We have a diverse team, why would we invest in education about diversity now? We are diverse and tolerant enough!” 

If you hear something like this in your workplace, you have a few times bigger chances of witnessing disagreement or potential discrimination at work. 

Namely, heterogeneous teams should be preserved by organizing occasional meetings or training sessions that will promote tolerance and inclusion. 

However, not every management thinks like this. As a result, problems might appear. 

Popovic reminds us that teams can rise above this limit, only if they have support from management: 

Conclusion: Diversity training is fine, but we need action

Diversity training is only a step towards a more tolerant environment. 

However, to be capable of even greater things, the company’s management and employees should always work on themselves and implement what they have learned during the diversity training. 

Beth Castle sums it up perfectly: 

To conclude, we would use Castle’s words about how important it is to be in favor of diversity in every sphere: