Imbibing diversity training assists the company management in better decision making, developing innovative products, generating higher revenue, and keeping their employees motivated. Diversity training plays a pivotal role in helping the employees learn the different perspectives of their colleagues. It gives them the ability to judge how their actions can upset or mislead someone. Setting up diversity training in your workspace can do the following:
Address issues related to partial and discriminatory work culture Improve an organization culture Challenge the short-comings of the traditional approach Develop harmony in the workplace
Here are 12 unique ways to set up diversity training in your workspace:
1. Recognize Various Religions, Culture, and Ethnicity
Your organization will have people coming in from various cultural backgrounds, and you must ensure that they feel secure. You should respect all religions and do not be partial to the majority. One way to achieve this is by celebrating all religious festivals in your workspace. By giving an optional holiday facility to employees to enjoy their respective festivals will make them feel respected and included. Do not debate on religious issues and try to accept every ethnicity.
2. Apply Diversity Training in the Top Management Team
The top management and the executives show the path to the rest of the workforce. Assess whether they can follow and imbibe that culture. A conviction in diversity and inclusion training will allow them to pass it on to the subsequent hierarchy level. Top management will inspire other employees to adopt that culture.
3. Encourage a Multi-Lingual Taskforce
When someone is working in a workplace where they do not understand or speak the local language, they feel left out. Everyone should feel included even when subjected to diverse cultures.
Educate the employees to learn different languages and accept various cultures. Set up a common language and ensure that everyone is taught to communicate in that language. Language should never pose a barrier to growth.
4. Discuss Inequality in Gender Pay
It is a common issue that every organization should address. Often people feel that despite putting up all the effort, their remuneration is decided on gender. Evaluate data and derive facts about it and then ensure a remedy. There should be no gender discrimination when it comes to payment. This can demotivate people, and eventually, they will stop delivering outputs. Speak to your employees and solve their issues with transparent communication and supportive data.
5. Adopt an Integrated Approach
Many study and statistics show that proper training, including lectures, discussions, and exercises help in setting up diversity in your work culture. Establish a plan including a series of training sessions, and demonstrate the importance of diversity training and its benefits. Include fun activities and creative ways to imbibe the importance of such culture.
6. Adopt a Method of Gameplay
This is a unique approach towards solving a problem that can arise at the workplace. Set up a common platform where people will come forward and solve issues raised by colleagues like they are in a game zone. Reward the best idea presented to solve an issue that will motivate others. The gameplay approach can make wonders happen.
7. Introduce Micro-Learning
When employees attend long-hour training sessions, they feel bored and eventually become reluctant to adopt the culture. Set up sessions that are crisp and effective. Target the main points in a way that will enable employees to like and adapt diversity training methods.
8. Introduce E-Learning
Utilize technology in setting up diversity training modules. There are several ways to imbibe these sessions on mobile phones, tablets, iPads, etc. Employees can access training modules from everywhere and attend sessions as per their comfort. This won’t bind the trainees within a room or time frame and can help you introspect on the training module’s valuable points.
9. Get an Expert On Board
To deliver vibrant, effective, and quality training, hire an expert to carry out the training program. Often top management delivers such training modules, but bringing an industry expert can be more effective. Many trained professionals in the market will customize and cater to your business needs and deliver the program accordingly.
10. Encourage Employee Gatherings
Casual gatherings, including food, games, and interactive sessions, should be encouraged. Celebrating birthdays and festivals will bring all employees and top management to a common forum. This eliminates discrepancy and improves harmony. Interactive sessions, fun activities like games, role-play, and cultural activities can encourage employees to showcase their talent and break from mundane and monotonous work. Team leaders should take their team members out for lunch or dinner and try to know them personally. In doing so, a senior-junior gap will be bridged.
11. Respect Employees of All Generations
In the modern era, comparatively younger employees form the majority of the workforce. However, an organization should look forward to building a team with a perfect blend of vibrant youth and experienced senior professionals. Younger employees will put forward tech-savvy innovative ideas while the senior and experienced professionals will show them the correct path and solve their barriers. Efforts of every generation should be acknowledged and rewarded. Avoid choosing leaders based on age since young leaders can inspire many aspiring managers.
12. Develop an Open-Minded Culture and Hear Them All
Develop a culture where no one’s self-respect is downgraded. Accept everyone’s viewpoint. Do not be partial. Even if someone’s viewpoint may not be correct, explain and justify the reason why their idea is not considered. Your organization has to make everyone feel secure irrespective of their caste, color, religion, sexual orientation, physicality, language, and country from where they belong. Indulge in one-on-one communication between employees and their managers. Develop a culture where the manager listens to the grievances of their team members. In doing so, the employees will feel secured and respected. Hearing your employees will help you develop an insight into the improvement of your organizational functioning.
Conclusion
Only by setting up rules and expecting everyone to follow it won’t help your organization grow. Setting up a work culture based on diversity training and ensuring that everyone has adopted the culture will show you results. It is true that catering to the need of every employee is a challenging task but adapting diversity and inclusion training practices can make your life a little easy. All companies are moving towards developing a work culture that will allow everyone to feel included, keep them motivated and eventually earn the organization a fruitful result.
