In the wake of major social and political changes,  businesses are beginning to reevaluate how diverse and inclusive their workforce really is. 

Employers have a duty to protect employees from harassment and discrimination in the workplace. According to the US Equal Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the lack of diversity and inclusion is one of the top risk factors for workplace harassment.

Given companies that value diversity and inclusion are less likely to experience incidents of harassment and discrimination, the demand for Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) training is on the rise. If a company’s training is well-designed, interactive and relevant to a modern workforce, it can be an important part of a holistic approach to preventing workplace discrimination and harassment. Here are four ways how:

• Raise Awareness. By offering D&I trainings, employees can gain a better understanding of what “Diversity” and “Inclusion” mean in today’s workforce and how unconscious bias can affect individuals, teams and the organization overall. Diversity is about recognizing and valuing people’s unique traits and differences. This includes race, gender, age, ethnicity, sexual orientation, physical ability and other protected classes under federal laws, as well as values, beliefs, experiences and backgrounds. Inclusion means involving and empowering all people. An inclusive workforce incorporates diverse backgrounds in the operations and leadership of the organization. By educating employees on the value of diverse backgrounds and perspectives, D&I trainings can motivate employees and managers to be aware of their own unconscious bias, while providing tactics on how to overcome them when making decisions in the workplace.

• Reinforces Policies & Procedures. D&I trainings allow employers the opportunity to regularly communicate and reinforce their discrimination and harassment policies, code of conduct and compliant procedures. Through realistic examples and interactive content, trainings help explain how your policies and procedures are used in connection with anti-discrimination and anti-harassment and how they apply in day-to-day interactions.

• Strengthens Organizational Culture. When harassment and discrimination goes unchecked, organizational culture suffers, along with the ability to attract and retain top talent, increase customer loyalty and promote a positive image in the community. By aligning your D&I training and initiatives with your culture, you can create an effective platform to reinforce your company’s values and mission to demonstrate to employees that their voice matters, and when they speak up about discrimination and harassment, they will be heard.

• Supports Leadership’s Message. There is no substitution for authenticity of a leader’s voice articulating that a diverse and inclusive workforce is a priority and a part of the core values and mission of an organization. D&I trainings offer a platform for leadership to speak out directly to their employees to let them know about the importance of D&I and the expectation that everyone will participate in the training and be held accountable for maintaining a workplace free of harassment and discrimination.

At SourcPointe, we are dedicated to helping our clients create and maintain a diverse and inclusive workforce. If you would like to learn more about how SourcePointe can help your organization grow it’s diversity program contact us today.

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