Dive Brief:
- Employers that have experienced financial growth during the past year are 72% more likely to advocate strongly for diversity and inclusion (D&I) training in their organization compared to companies without D&I instruction, according to a report by findcourses.com, a corporate learning search engine.
- In the survey of more than 70 learning and development (L&D) professionals, 48% said they don't currently provide D&I training of any kind. Sensitivity and empathy training (26%) was the topic most frequently covered in D&I learning programs by the organizations that offer them, followed by cultural competence (23%) and unconscious bias training (17%), the report said.
- Respondents with highly engaged employees were 94% more likely to provide to classroom training to workers, but only abut one-fifth of respondents said they use workshops, classroom courses, and seminars as their top method to train employees. The most common method, the report found, was e-learning with 30% of respondents offering online training.
Dive Insight:
The findcourses.com report came to a similar conclusion as other studies, affirming that D&I initiatives can have a measurable impact on employers' bottom lines if executed properly. A 2018 Harvard Business Review study found that D&I fosters innovation, while more recent research has concluded when employers support gender diversity, they have higher revenues.
Putting a D&I-focused learning program in place is the right start, but it isn't always enough to create a truly inclusive work culture. According to a Boston Consulting Group report, 98% of companies have a diversity program, but a quarter of workers in these organizations – women, people of color and people who identify as LGBTQ – don't confirm benefiting from the initiatives in any way. For HR to pave the way for more diversity at work, it must first work on listening to these marginalized groups to help them feel included at work. If employers solicit ideas from these groups actively, D&I initiatives meant to benefit them (and attract other diverse talent) may have a better shot at serving their needs and earning their buy-in from the start.
