Inclusivity and diversity training for you and your team
Diversity and inclusion are the mantras of our age, yet many companies are not entirely sure how to get managers and employees to understand the concepts. And even those who do get it may have trouble comprehending why it's a big deal.
And it is a big deal, from a purely human point of view as well as for the business: Not only does diversity create a much larger talent pool when hiring, but research has shown that companies with diverse workforces perform better. Much better. In May 2020, McKinsey & Co. published a report showing that companies in the top quartile for gender diversity were 25 percent more likely to have above average profitability compared with those in the bottom quartile, and companies in the top quartile in ethnic diversity were 36 percent more likely to achieve the same.
Fortunately for those looking to broaden their horizons, there is a ton of training available, both free and paid, to help them develop a more diverse mindset. Here's a selection.
Linux Foundation: Inclusive Open Source Community Orientation
Website: https://training.linuxfoundation.org/training/inclusive-open-source-community-orientation-lfc102/
Type: Online, self-paced
Cost: Free
Description: "The content of this course covers facts about diversity in tech, the importance of diversity for innovation, the basics of unconscious and societal bias, and how to recognize the different ways unconscious bias presents itself in technical environments. The course also provides the knowledge and skills to recognize, appreciate, and include people of differing races, ethnicities, genders, ages, abilities, and other identity categories and promote inclusivity and diversity in open source communities."
HRDQ: Diversity Works
Website: https://hrdqstore.com/products/diversity-works-training-game
Type: Hands-on workshop and game
Cost: $999
Description: "Diversity Works is an interactive exploration into diversity awareness that leverages the science of learning to create opportunities for real conversations that matter. [It] is designed to get adult learners out of their seats and into station-based activities catering to distinct learning preferences, interaction types, and technology options. Part experiential, part social, and part emotional, the Diversity Works learning style model encourages learners to explore and absorb new ideas around inclusivity and diversity." The kit includes a setup guide, a Facilitator Guide, and activity and participant materials for up to 25 participants; refill kits are available.
Compliance Training Group: Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace – Essential Concepts
Cost: $29.99 per person
Type: E-learning
Description: "This 60-minute course improves recognition of bias, stereotypes, and discrimination, while suggesting strategies to halt those practices in favor of an equitable and inclusive environment for co-workers, clients, and the public."
Compliance Training Group: Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace – Unconscious Bias Awareness
Cost: $29.99 per person
Type: E-learning
Description: "This 90-minute course improves recognition of bias, stereotypes, and discrimination, while suggesting strategies to halt those practices in favor of an equitable and inclusive environment for co-workers, clients, and the public. Supplements to the Essentials course help participants to grasp the evolving social context that surrounds the notion of equity, and to gain awareness of how behaviors that were previously considered benign may be perceived as biased in a modern workplace."
Compliance Training Group: Diversity & Sensitivity in the Workplace for Supervisors
Cost: $19.99 per person
Type: Online, self-paced
Description: "To create an inclusive work environment, leaders must help employees feel supported, heard, and valued. We cover relevant laws, supervisor duties, how to handle a complaint, and practical methods for increasing your organization's inclusionary efforts."
Compliance Training Group: Diversity & Sensitivity in the Workplace for Employees
Cost: $19.99 per person
Type: Online, self-paced
Description: "Our self-paced, online course for individual learning defines, identifies, and provides understanding of the benefits and challenges of workplace diversity, the importance of sensitivity and inclusion, and the legal basis for providing an equal-opportunity workplace."
Cornell University: Diversity and Inclusion Certificate Program
Website: www.ecornell.com/certificates/leadership-and-strategic-management/diversity-and-inclusion/
Cost: $3,600
Type: Online, instructor-led
Description: "Starting with a look at employee engagement, then identifying interventions surrounding unconscious bias and specific diversity and inclusion strategies, this program is appropriate for anyone committed to going beyond mere compliance to build a truly aware and inclusive work culture." Consists of four courses over two months.
Media Partners: Diversity 101 – The Complete Series
Website: www.media-partners.com/diversity/diversity_101__the_complete_series.htm
Cost: $895
Type: DVD (copy protected)
Description: Eight vignettes with a discussion guide on various facets of diversity. Media Partners offers more than two dozen other training videos on diversity and inclusion; see the company's catalog for more titles.
ProProfs: Create your own custom courses
Website: www.proprofs.com/training/solutions/diversity-training-software/
Cost: Free 15-day trial, after which cost is $2 per learner per month (Essentials) or $4 per learner per month (Premium)
Type: Online
Description: Companies can create their own courses or customize those in the ProProfs library.
Udemy
Website: www.udemy.com/courses/search/?q=Diversity+training
Cost: Varies; some courses are free
Type: Online
Description: Udemy offers dozens of short (a few hours long) online courses for management and employees on topics such as fostering inclusive workplace climates, managing and boosting performance through diversity, and helping diverse talent thrive.
Coursera: Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace
Website: www.coursera.org/learn/diversity-inclusion-workplace
Cost: Free for audit mode
Type: Online, instructor-led
Description: "We need to be capable of seeing and hearing differences to reap the benefits of diversity. But seeing and hearing differences hone our discriminating reflexes and can also lead to discrimination. If you take this MOOC, you will: 1. understand this paradox, 2. understand its dynamics, and 3. identify ways to manage it, so that you can better channel the diversity potential in the workplace for greater performance and innovation." Coursera also offers courses in optimizing diversity on teams and other topics. Check the site for what is currently running.
Microsoft eLesson: Unconscious Bias
Website: www.mslearning.microsoft.com/course/72169/launch
Cost: Free
Type: Online, self-paced
Description: Looks at unconscious biases, how they influence behavior, and how they impact people, as well as ways to help counter bias in the work environment.
Purdue University: Understanding Diversity and Inclusion
Website: www.futurelearn.com/courses/diversity-inclusion-awareness
Cost: Free access to the course for its duration plus 14 days; paid options are available to extend access, take tests, and get certificates.
Type: Online, instructor-led
Description: Three-week course, not currently in session; sign up to be notified when it's next offered.
Delaware Technical Community College: Diversity Training for Employees and Managers
Website: www.ed2go.com/dtccowens/online-courses/diversity-training-for-employees-and-managers/
Cost: $79
Type: Online, self-paced (three months' access)
Description: "[The course] is designed to help employees and managers gain a better understanding of the skills, characteristics, and talents that each person brings to the table regardless of their background. [It] emphasizes the need to communicate, negotiate, and collaborate in a diverse environment both internally and externally."
Traliant: Diversity Training
Website: www.traliant.com/diversity-training/
Cost: Free trial available
Type: Video
Description: The Diversity and Inclusion Training Suite includes Workplace Diversity, Inclusion & Racial Sensitivity; Unconscious Bias; and Microaggressions in the Workplace. The Workplace Diversity, Inclusion & Sensitivity course can be customized with your brand, policies, and leadership message to reflect your values and culture.
This article/content was written by the individual writer identified and does not necessarily reflect the view of Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company.
Lynn Greiner is a freelance technology writer, and the odd combination of a geek with a business degree. She spent many years working in corporate IT, both on the ground and in management, and is ITIL-certified.