The benefits of diversity in the workplace have been long recognized. The goal of diversity and inclusion at work is generally to help create a work environment in which people of all backgrounds or cultures can feel comfortable and work together effectively.
Over recent years we have seen unprecedented immigration levels, delivering a rich diversity of people and ideas. Many employers seek to use this to their advantage and to revitalize the workplace. We are now so multicultural that most of us don't even notice it, but there was a time when this was not the case. Let's dive into the purpose of diversity and inclusion.
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What is the Goal of Diversity and Inclusion?
The goal of diversity and inclusion is to produce a work environment that is free of bullying or harassment of different ethnic groups,
If your business is new, you may not be conversant with becoming an inclusive workplace. The best thing to do is to get some initial training on the subject, for you and your management team to complete on learning management systems (LMS). Do this by checking out EasyLlama's training for diversity and inclusion. Once you have completed the training you will develop a more comprehensive understanding of people from Culturally and Linguistically Different (CALD) communities.
Face to face training is also offered, and many of us prefer that style as you are able to ask the trainer a lot of questions and get comprehensive answers on problems that arise. Once the training is completed, your statistics will show fewer Human Resource interventions take place, as the staff has a much greater understanding of people who are culturally different. The more training that takes place the more tolerant everyone becomes of others, and that is always a good thing.
The Benefits of Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace
This is a training program that benefits all staff and managers. Some of the benefits are:
- Better working relationships
- Ideas are readily generated and collaboration increases.
- The best employees are retained because they begin to take ownership of the job.
- Motivation and innovation increase, due to the generation of new ideas.
- Developing a respectful culture.
- Delivering the best outcomes for clients and staff.
It can be easy to incorrectly read people from other cultures, and behaviors can be misinterpreted. This is where face-to-face training for Diversity and Inclusion is so valuable. Now that the instances of COVID-19 are declining, you should be able to book your training with a qualified resource like EasyLlama to take your staff through the course and answer the questions. Your employees will learn about engaging with others from different backgrounds in a nonjudgmental way. Following up with some LMS modules will build on the training and reinforce ideas and behavior changes.
Achieving Sensitivity in the Workplace
Following the workplace training, your employees will become more communication-focused. Probably many of them will be good communicators anyway and the training builds on their skills. The training is usually repeated annually, allowing anyone who wants a refresher course to re-attend.
The last thing we want in the workplace is a discrimination case. Attending workplace sensitivity training and reaching a higher level of tolerance, is one way of avoiding this risk.
Mapping Your Path to a Diverse and Inclusive Workplace
We are now committed to having a workforce that reflects the communities we serve. and attracting new talent is very much a part of this.
It is always important for our employees to feel valued and included. Good diversity training will encompass both awareness and skills training.
Enabling employees to see the world through the eyes of someone from a different race and background. Good training (like EasyLlama provides) helps companies to see the benefits of diversity, and actually is very motivating to everyone working there, as it brings a different perspective that many had not considered before the training.
Providing Effective Diversity and Inclusion Training
The goal of diversity and inclusion training is to reach everyone in the workplace, and evaluation has shown that this is best done by delivering quality training annually, followed by some LMS modules for managers and staff. Some companies have an entrenched culture where unfortunately a few managers seem unable to embrace change. So delivering the message to them annually will help them to overcome their bias and move forward. Robust discussion should be encouraged amongst staff as we don't want the training to degenerate to ticking a box level. Different diversity training types also provides better results.
The goal of a diverse and inclusive workplace is to create the right environment where people feel comfortable working together with both collaboratively and effectively in an environment without judgment; all staff is able to reach their full potential while working as a team.
Why Diversity and Inclusion is so important in the Workplace
Once the training is completed you will often notice that employees become more confident and able to voice their opinions, because they know that an effort has been made to value and accept them. Once they feel accepted they are more able to contribute. This is because when morale is low it kills productivity. Higher morale enables people to be motivated and complete their work and feel part of the team. All offices benefit from employing people with a wide range of skills and perspectives.
A Harvard Business Review study found that faster problem solving occurs when a diverse team is able to accept one another and come up with more unique ideas. The fact that they are more cognitively diverse appears to deliver a better outcome. Reduction in employee turnover is also beneficial, when employees feel accepted they are less likely to look for other work. There is also a marked reduction in conflict within the office environment.
Conclusion
In attaining the goal of diversity and inclusion in the workplace, training is the key. With all the best intentions harmony and acceptance at work cannot be achieved without a certain level of ongoing diversity training. So to get the best out of your workforce contact EasyLlama today to get your Diversity and Inclusion training in place. Your workforce, clients, and colleagues will all reap the benefit of a more productive and united work team.
