Diversity Equity and Inclusion training aims to educate employees about bias they may not realize exist, including bias based on gender, race, caste, religion and more.
Effective training acknowledges that one size does not fit all. Change takes time, commitment, and support in order to happen successfully.
Ableism
Ableism is a form of discrimination that prevents individuals with disabilities from being treated equally. It often goes undetected due to stereotypes and misconceptions which make its effects invisible – yet its ripples spread through every part of society, leaving no aspect unaffected.
Discrimination against those with disabilities comes in various forms, from building designs that are inaccessible, refusing reasonable accommodations and demolishing those living with them to more overt acts such as employers demoting or firing those living with disabilities and failing to abide by the Americans with Disabilities Act. Attitudes and language can also contribute to stigmatisation of disability. For example, using derogatory terms like “crazy”, “psycho”, and “wacko” when discussing mental illness; cognitive disability such as being “retarded, idiot, moron”; physical disability (“crippled lame spaz”, can have devastating results. American autistic disabled activist Lydia X. Z. Brown has provided an informative list of alternatives in her Ableism/Language glossary, which has received hundreds of thousands of views. Some critics accuse Brown’s list of policed language or censored words, yet she explains that feminist theory and other social justice theories have long analyzed how language can reflect and express power structures like sexism, heterosexism, racism, ableism and other forms of prejudice.
Diversity and inclusion training is critical to ensure employees understand their biases, can collaborate effectively irrespective of gender, race, caste or religion, develop empathy and understand that treating all equally is the only way to meet company goals. Training may include allyship workshops, creating an inclusive hiring simulation and social identity mapping.
Ageism
Ageism is a form of bias aimed at people based on their age, often taking various forms such as stereotyping older employees and underestimating younger generations’ capabilities. Ageism in the workplace may manifest in hiring practices favoring millennials or water cooler discussions that disregard experience gained by older workers.
As with other forms of bias, ageism must also be tackled through Diversity Equity and Inclusion training. Integrating ageism into broader diversity equity and inclusion initiatives will help shift cultural norms; training on how to recognize and avoid ageist behavior as well as encourage intergenerational collaboration is part of this approach.
Age-inclusive training must emphasize that ageism affects employees from both generations. Training videos could depict instances of ageism between older employees and younger employees and vice versa. Furthermore, content must be regularly updated so it reflects contemporary understandings of ageism.
Ageism is a longstanding issue and must be treated as such – but by including ageism training into wider diversity and inclusivity training sessions, organizations can begin addressing its impact. This will create more productive workplace environments that respect employees of all ages. Ageism should not be ignored!
Gender Identity
Gender identity refers to an individual’s experience of themselves as they self-identify in terms of how they feel in their body and how others view them, including being lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or non-binary (LGBTQIA+). With continued discussions regarding how best to protect and provide equal opportunities for this community in the workplaces across America, gender identity sensitivity training must become part of standard business procedures.
DEI training is the cornerstone of this process and helps employees learn how to be more accepting of people who identify as LGBTIA+. They’ll learn how to respect someone’s pronouns and names while making sure all employees have access to gender-neutral bathrooms and accommodations.
Another part of the training involves teaching employees to recognize microaggressions based on race, sexual orientation, religion, disability status or socioeconomic background. Micro-aggressions are subtle slights or snubs which can hurt someone’s feelings and prevent them from performing at their full potential in work environments.
Establishing an inclusive workplace means equipping all team members with the skills they require for success, so integrating diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) training into your company culture is critical to creating an ideal work environment for everyone. You’ll make everyone feel safe and respected and create the healthiest work environment possible for all employees – helping all of them thrive and be their best selves at work! To find out more about DEI training’s benefits or enroll in DEI training yourself today. Contact us!
Neurodiversity
Neurodiversity encompasses people with neurological differences such as autism, ADHD, dyslexia and dyspraxia. While such conditions were once seen as abnormal, the neurodiversity movement is shifting perceptions by emphasizing people’s strengths rather than disabilities.
An effective way for businesses to welcome neurodiverse employees into their workplaces is through offering ongoing support and resources, such as mentoring programs or access to coaches or trainings. Furthermore, this may also involve giving workers greater freedom in selecting their schedules and environments – many neurodiverse employees fear asking for assistance in fear that it will be seen as weak or laziness; by providing ongoing support they can alleviate stress while creating an inclusive work environment for all employees.
Managers should also receive training on the needs of neurodivergent colleagues. Managers must learn to recognize signs of overload such as zoning out, fidgeting or irritability – this will allow them to address these issues before they become serious issues for team members.
Diversity, equity and inclusion training should be an integral component of every business culture. By informing employees about various forms of discrimination they can better comprehend and combat those biases that exist within their workplaces. By focusing on six areas related to this training businesses can foster an inclusive workplace which leads to increased productivity, creativity and innovation resulting in greater productivity, creativity and innovation overall.
Sexual Orientation
Sexual orientation refers to an individual’s level of romantic, emotional and sexual attraction for people of either the same or different sexe. It differs from gender identity and biological sex classification in that it’s not always consistent with how someone views their gender identity or the sex assigned at birth. People can describe their orientation in many different ways – for instance homosexual, heterosexual and bisexual are terms that might apply.
Some individuals find the traditional labels too vague or inaccurate and use different terms or combinations of words to identify themselves as sexuality or gender expression. For instance, gay men can also identify themselves as lesbians, bisexuals, nonbinarys or queers; those attracted to both women and men might refer to themselves as transgender or queer.
Culture can have a tremendous impact on a person’s understanding of sexual orientation and self-esteem and personality development. American culture places great emphasis on individual attributes like stability and constancy; East Asian cultures focus more on family roles and social hierarchies.
Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) practices at work should encompass those with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and/or queer or pluc other sexual or gender identities and their families – an integral component of business success. Employees working for organizations that value LGBTQ+ inclusivity report higher job satisfaction as well as engagement and productivity levels in general. From a compliance viewpoint, it’s crucial that employers understand how laws protect employees against discrimination based on DEI factors like sexual orientation.
Unconscious Bias
Unconscious bias refers to attitudes or stereotypes held unknowingly that can influence perceptions and decision-making without people realizing. Though not as easy to alter than more direct forms of discrimination, addressing unconscious bias should still be included as part of diversity equity and inclusion training programs.
HR leaders cannot simply rely on diversity training alone to address discriminatory acts or decisions within their business; they should create a plan to prevent these problems while making sure employees receive training necessary to counter unconscious biases.
An effective hiring simulation provides participants with an opportunity to test their biases and determine whether or not they are selecting candidates solely based on demographic factors. Another approach would be allyship workshops which teach participants skills such as active listening, advocacy, leveraging privilege to support underrepresented groups and leveraging privilege for underrepresented groups. Finally, intersectionality training allows individuals to explore how their identities intersect and shape their experiences and perspectives.
Individual biases are the most pervasive form of unconscious bias in the workplace and impact diversity and inclusion through interactions between individuals. Biases of this sort may take various forms such as favoritism (favoring one gender over another), racism, ableism or ageism – however denial can act as an impediment in confronting and eliminating them.