Diversity Training

Understanding diversity and its impact on organizational effectiveness has become an organizational priority. This training is no longer perceived as just a part of organizational social responsibility; instead, it is now viewed as a strategic business objective with the capability to make organizations more competitive. More than 50% of all U.S. organizations sponsor some sort of diversity training, at an estimated annual cost of $10 billion.

Training to improve diversity competency involves a series of programs and activities that reveal similarities and differences among individuals and offer strategies for handling them. However, before any decisions are made concerning the planning and delivery of such training, it is important to define what an organization means by the term diversity. Diversity training may be narrowly focused on primary dimensions—characteristics trainees have no control over—such as age, race, ethnicity, and physical ability. Or such training can also include secondary dimensions—characteristics trainees have some control over—such as religious beliefs, marital status, educational level, and geographic location.

Advocates for using a broader definition of diversity identify advantages such as acknowledging the many differences that affect work interactions, making training more agreeable to participants, and reducing trainee resistance. A broader definition also gives trainees greater latitude to discuss issues that are personally relevant to them. Conversely, a narrower definition can prompt trainees to view the training as a corrective action or a program that serves only certain affected groups. Before adopting a definition of diversity, organizations should consider engaging in both an organizational analysis to identify the primary goals of training and an operational analysis to identify the stakeholders and resources necessary to deliver diversity training initiatives effectively.