How Technology Can Facilitate Diversity Training in the Workplace
Research suggests that a sizeable number of organizations lack gender and racial diversity, especially in leadership roles. We believe emerging training tech can help bridge this gap. In this article, we discuss:
- What is workplace diversity training?
- Three technology solutions disrupting this landscape
- How progressive organizations can use VR for diversity
Despite organizations proactively taking up workplace diversity as a critical area of improvement, research suggests that there is still a long way to go. As per 2018 numbers, there is still a lack of gender balance across US companies, and this is further intensified when we consider leadership roles. For example, 20% of organizations do not have a single woman on their leadership teams. Across sectors, there is a sharp decline in the representation of women as we progress from entry to executive levels. Furthermore, only 16% of leaders identify as people of color. These statistics point towards a pressing need for adopting measures that help improve diversity in the workplace.
Workplace diversity training can be a useful strategy for companies looking to create a tolerant and inclusive work environment. It aims to increase people’s knowledge about minority groups, as well as build skills for interaction. Over time, diversity training can bring about positive attitudinal change, impacting hiring, recognition, and career progression opportunities.
What is Workplace Diversity Training?
Workplace diversity training is a learning and development (L&D) program designed to increase cultural awareness, encourage empathy, and build a bedrock of inclusion. While such training may not be able to rewire an individual’s approach completely, it can help to prevent inappropriate behavior to a certain extent and ensure that people of every background are provided a positive work environment. Typically, workplace diversity training entails:
- New Recruit Training: Right at the onboarding stage, it is essential to discuss diversity and inclusion issues with a recruit. This will help them prepare to seamlessly join the workforce and bring the right attitude to foster inclusivity.
- Refresher Training: These sessions are regularly held to update employees on the newest diversity policies, hold conversations on dominant trends in the workplace, and familiarize/refamiliarize employees with the best practices for workplace diversity.
- Leadership Training: Specific solutions are available for workplace diversity training designed for leadership roles, which provide useful insights into identity conflicts, inclusive workplaces, invisible disabilities, power and inequality, and how to be an ally.
Scott Ballina, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Leader at Citrix, explains that diversity in the workplace brings measurable ROI. Companies in the top quartile for racial/ethnic diversity are 35% more likely to generate above-average revenues. But beyond metrics, the benefits of workplace diversity training are clear.
He adds that “Diverse teams, all with their own unique skill sets and capabilities, can come together to share their experience and create something greater than the sum of their parts. But to get the best from someone regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, or religious belief, we must actively include them so that they can contribute to their fullest.”
Learn more: 3 Diversity Metrics You Should be Tracking in 2019
How to Leverage the Latest Tech for Workplace Diversity Training
Recently, a wave of technology solutions has emerged that take on the diversity question and apply cutting-edge ideas to solve this long-standing issue. From microlessons that instill diversity values in professionals to simulations that help experience uncomfortable workplace scenarios (for greater empathy), the range of solutions is fast expanding.
Here are three compelling ways technology is transforming diversity training in the workplace and reinforcing its impacts:
1. Removing implicit bias by simulating the triggers
Implicit bias can negatively impact important professional decisions during hiring, collaboration, recognition, appraisal, and off-boarding. In fact, it is among the most challenging areas that need to be addressed through workplace diversity training. Virtual reality can help enact gamified scenarios where positive behavior is rewarded and inappropriate behavior is penalized. Given that awareness is the first step to removing implicit bias, virtual reality helps to remind employees exactly what responses/behavioral patterns to avoid. Debias VR’s workplace diversity platform is specifically geared towards bias elimination.
2. Walking a mile in someone else’s shoes for genuine empathy
This training format is simple: put on a VR headset and see yourself represented in a different gender, race, ethnicity, ability-level, and other discrimination-prone groups. Equal Reality is a VR startup making massive strides in this segment with their game-changing platform, which is used by global leaders such as Amazon, PwC, and JP Morgan. Employees who used the Equal Reality solution for workplace diversity were deeply affected by the level of empathy garnered, reporting feelings of “anger,” “discrimination,” and “defensiveness,” according to their website.
3. Consuming diversity-related content in bite-sized chunks
Microlearning is useful to break up complex concepts and abstract ideas into easy-to-consume segments. In the case of workplace diversity training, this is even more important, as the content can be directly embedded within workflows to coach people on diversity, while on the job. Qstream has recently partnered with Culture Coach to combine microlearning with a culture of diversity and inclusion, enabling better knowledge retention through microlessons.
Learn more: 5 Great Apps to Promote Workplace Diversity
Prioritize Diversity Training Through Virtual Reality
These revolutionary solutions suggest that workplace diversity training differs from other L&D tracks – it doesn’t just imbibe knowledge but aims to change attitudes. While classroom sessions can help share useful information (also essential to diversity training), technologies such as VR create an experiential lesson, encouraging empathy, understanding, and value-based judgment. This is why it is a key cog for organizations looking to bridge the gaps between their diversity goals and everyday employee reality, fostering inclusivity in the workplace.
Which solutions do you use for workplace diversity training? Tell us on Facebook, LinkedIn, or Twitter. We are always listening!
