Diversity Education and Training

Attract and retain valuable employees by including diversity training material in your education plans
By Colleen Dixon, Owner Shenandoah Writing Services Corporate diversity training is an important means of helping your employees understand one another, accept and adjust to diverse cultures and ways of thinking and be empowered to give clients their best service.

Diversity training education has evolved from a focus on race and gender to include age, background and perspective, culture, disability, ideas and national origin.

Your company's diversity training materials and planning should address these issues:

1. Ensure all newly hired staff are aware of your company's commitment to a diversity training program;

2. Follow up on employee diversity training to further review issues and answer any questions your employees may have; and

3. Offer members of management specific training designed to add diversity to your workplace.

Make online diversity training available to newly hired employees

To ensure new hires are quickly familiarized with your business' diversity training information, introduce the concept in the interview and hiring phase. Online diversity training will give employees the flexibility of completing diversity training as they have time in the first few weeks after hire. You'll be able to get your new hires trained as they arrive, rather than waiting for a good-size group to hold a seminar. Online corporate diversity training saves the cost of holding a seminar and does away with the need to have a large group of your employees away from their jobs for training.
Try:  Cost-effective online diversity training companies include IET, TrainUp.com and eLearners.com.

Follow up on a diversity training program

Repetition of diversity training information will reinforce important concepts for your employees, ensuring longer-term retention of ideas. Developing a method of follow-up also gives employees a chance to ask additional questions or clarify points of confusion.
Try:  Send your employees regular updates on diversity training and on your diversity training program in particular. Employee Development Solutions has several relevant articles and offers a free newsletter. Include stories from NSN in company newsletters. Real-life stories can also effectively bring home the message of discrimination.

Give your managers specific diversity training materials designed to add diversity to your workplace

Managers need a thorough understanding of diversity in the workplace in order to supervise effectively. Supervisors interact with employees of various cultures, beliefs and other facets of a multi-cultural society. Give your managers the tools they need to take full advantage of the capabilities and talents of all employees.
Try:  View diversity training companies and their diversity training programs at PRISM and Workplace Answers.

• Research your options in diversity training programs carefully. Some diversity consultants may claim to be able to change some employee's long-held beliefs in a specific amount of time. This is an unreasonable expectation. Progress, not guilt trips or pressure, should be your aim in employee diversity training.
• Lead by example. Issuing a requirement for diversity training education without adhering to the concepts yourself will be evident to others. Leading from the front may mean your taking diversity training alongside your employees.