Employers and employees alike would agree that building and maintaining an inclusive work environment requires a basic fundamental knowledge and understanding of the important nuances inherent within today’s global society. The true core of any inclusion-based training is anchored in the support of a solid leadership team that is keenly aware of these dynamics. This strategy encourages the facilitation of a “top-down” trickling effect throughout the ranks.
What about the recent buzz regarding the “ineffectiveness” of diversity training? An article that was published in the Sunday edition of the Washington Post (January 20, 2008) has gained national attention over the past few weeks because of its claims that most diversity training is “ineffective” and even “counterproductive” in increasing the number of women and minorities in managerial positions. The article further states that despite the $200 to $300 million spent in the U.S. each year on diversity training for the betterment of its businesses, most mandatory (vs. voluntary) training is not effective. For some, the backlash to the article may be attributed to both the qualifications of its author and the generalizations cited throughout the piece.
Arguably, the first step to any diversity program/initiative is mandatory, inclusion-based training (albeit there is a forum for the type of workshop/session that is comprised of a cursory review of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Title VII EEO Laws.) Post-training surveys and participant feedback suggest that the most effective training programs offer interactive classroom activities and include candid classroom discussions. These programs address the key societal issues that ultimately impact the overall daily work environment and are the most widely attended. It stands to follow that they have also been heralded to be the ones most likely to affect change.
Considering the wide array of diversity training programs currently available, programs like those offered through the professionals at F&H Solutions Group take the lead in the industry by developing programs that are both interactive and require participant feedback. Our professional trainers have more than 20 years of experience in both the governmental and private industry sectors, and are up-to-date on the latest organizational and cultural trends within today’s busy marketplace. And it doesn’t just stop there: we utilize various customized mediums to track the progress of our class participants (post-training), to ensure continuing success within their work environments.