Expanding how we think about diversity training

Abstract

In their focal article, Hayes et al. (2020) outline several training approaches to mitigate racial discrimination and sexual harassment, noting the importance of training as the most obvious intervention for addressing these common workplace problems. Hayes and colleagues suggest the potential influence of several training approaches for sexual harassment and racial discrimination; however, diversity training as it stands may not be effective in creating long-term change in diversity-related attitudes and behaviors. Although training can yield positive benefits (Arredondo, 1996; Kalinoski et al., 2013), its effects are ephemeral (Bezrukova et al., 2016; Salas et al., 2012) and do not always shape attitudes and behaviors as intended. Thus, focusing on training as the solitary solution to workplace discrimination without considering broader initiatives for diversity can bind organizations from truly preventing and reducing such behavior. In this commentary, we assert that diversity training should be viewed from a different lens. Specifically, we argue that we should not refer to the effectiveness of individual training programs and instead focus on broader initiatives as specific activities aimed at developing attitudes and behaviors toward diversity to mitigate and eliminate discriminatory behaviors. As noted by Hayes et al. (2020), we contend that organizations often use diversity training to check a box with regard to compliance or reactions toward incidents; however, the focus and intended effects are generally not clearly well-defined. This often happens because many diversity trainings do not include a needs assessment or other pretraining assessment to determine the areas of strengths and weaknesses of trainees who are slated to attend (Kalinoski et al., 2013). In such cases, diversity training may be attempting to do too much without a clear focus on the realistic needs and goals of the organization or a proper assessment of whether the organization has the appropriate resources in place to meet these needs and goals. One way to increase the strength and longevity of the effectiveness of diversity training is to build it into broader diversity initiatives and organization goals. Therefore, we focus on socialization, frequency, module building, and structural changes to shape attitudes and behaviors toward diversity as manners of supplementing and reinforcing how organizations approach diversity training and initiatives. Throughout this commentary, we argue that the way we think about diversity training needs an overhaul. To begin, organizations should consider socialized behaviors and biases that may be difficult to quickly "train away." We then discuss evidenced-based ways to reduce prejudice expression through diversity training and discuss three strategies to improve the effectiveness of diversity training: frequent attempts to drive attitudes and behaviors toward diversity, inclusive module content, and organizational structures. Socialization: "Undoing" bias in the workplace An important first step to...

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