What Is Diversity Training?: Questions & Answers

ON THIS PAGE:
Does diversity training really work?
What is a diversity trainer?
How is diversity training different from multicultural, cross-cultural, and race relations training?
What does the diversity trainer do for the typical client?
Why is there an increase in the use of diversity trainers?
Why would individuals or companies without diversity-related problems need diversity trainer expertise?
Who hires a diversity trainer and why?
What are diversity trainers often hired to do?
Can diversity training create more problems than solutions?
How long must an individual or company commt to working with a diversity trainer?
What does it cost to hire a diversity trainer?

Does diversity training really work?
Diversity training can be a pleasurable profession when one has the skills needed to do the work competently. Diversity training can cause more harm than good to an organization, individual employees, and to the diversity profession when the traine or manager is ill-prepared. Many well-intentioned diversity trainers have left participants with an angry and bitter taste for such training. Effective diversity trainers offer participants tools for managing diversity according to specific behaviors that make trouble for them in everyday interactions. DTUI provides the knowledge and skills needed to help people help themselves in sticky intercultural interactions.

While many organizations resist spending the extra money needed to conduct a full assessment, more and more evidence from exisitng studies show that diversity training pays. However, it does so if accompanied by other interventions. Unfortunately, it is the high level diversity consultant who is more than likely to measure the results of their work. Social scientists are more likely to publish the results of their work, which is all too often based presenting undergraduate college students with hypothetical situations. The real world data the consultant collects is seldom published because the organization's privacy is important and the consultant tends to use it for getting more clients instead of sharing it with other professionals. The profession can clearly benefit from more data collections and sharing of existing findings. However, the research demonstrated the indirent need for diversity training is well-established.

An impressive example of research that supports promoting inclusion comes from a Carnegie Mellon study of the relationship between diversity and innovation. Innovation and application of knowledge are key elements of economic growth, and, as stated by Richard Florida and Sam Lee of Carnegie Mellon University, “human capital and diversity operate jointly in the production of innovation." The two factors work effectively together for at least three reasons. One reason is that innovation is a function of human capital, so the more diversity in a region, the more innovation. Secondly, an inclusive region is characterized by lowered barriers to economic participation, which result in enhanced capacity to produce innovations. Finally, diverse regions, such as cities, reduce the costs of idea creation and information sharing, which accelerates the flow of information and knowledge.

A city or organization that hopes to capitalize off its diversity will benefit from implementing inclusive practices to attract high quality human capital, increase the potential of generating new ideas, and accelerate the speed at which information and knowledge is exchanged.

Florida and Lee (2001) tested these ideas by focusing on the number of patents generated in a metropolitan area (1990-1999) given its diversity as a yardstick. Patents were considered measures of innovation. The percentage of bachelor's degrees and the proportion of scientists and engineers in a region were used to measure human capital. The Gay Index and the Bohemian Index were used to measure the extent that a region is inclusive. The Gay Index measures the extent that a city has a high proportion of gay men, which is assumed to be a strong indicator of inclusion. The Bohemian Index measures a region's openness to creativity by accounting for the concentration of artist, musicians, and other "bohemian" occupations.

Analyses of the effect of the factors described above indicated that the more inclusive a city is and the more it has a high concentration of creativity, the higher the number of patents generated in the region.

Since patents represent creative outputs that require consider resources to secure, results prove a close connection between diversity and productivity. The implication is that the more an organization or region engages in strategic efforts to promote diversity and inclusion, the more competitive edge it will have in the modern economic environment.

The Silicon Valley is an excellent example of how diversity spurns innovation. People from almost every part of the world found the technology innovation center a home as a result of studying in nearby universities. In addition, Silicon Valley was initially a low income area ripe with Bohemians. The scientists and engineers would spend a considerable amount of time on the job sharing knowledge, as well as in their free time in a culturally-rich environment filled with coffee shops. The "no holds barred" inclusive environment, mixed with diversed people nourished by the Bohemian atmosphere was classic.

Most organizations do not have the benefit of a Silicon Valley atmosphere, so it must strategically design and develop it. Diversity training is one resource for doing so.

Effectively managing diversity and creating an organization in which people can bring their whole selves are more than just good ideas--it is good business. It is propelled by more than a moral imperative—it has a positive impact on the bottom line.

The following is a list of potential benefits of diversity and inclusion.

1. Offer a better return on investment in human capital
2. Increase the pool of talent for recruitment
3. Increase creativity
4. Provide resources for attracting a diverse market
5. Increase productivity
6. Increase an organization's ability to compete in the world market
7. Solve complex community challenges
8. Deliver services more effectively
9. Offer insights into socially responsible practices
10. Balance social, moral, and economic concerns in a single effort

While diversity training is insufficient in and of itself, I can play a crucial role in fulfilling the benefits.

Diversity training is not a new idea. Diversity trainers use their expertise in:

• conflict resolution,
• preparing organizations for increases in racial, ethnic, cultural,
  and gender diversity,
• preparing employees for international work,
• safeguarding against harassment and unfair employment lawsuits,
• taking advantage of employee diversity to increase productivity,
• conducting cultural audits,
• managing sexual attraction in the workplace,
• developing competencies needed to exploit the international marketplace.

Diversity training has existed for quite a while in some form or another, although different labels were used in reference to it. Perhaps the most globally shared label is cross-cultural training. Race relations training and multicultural education are common synonymous labels used in the United States. As the labels suggest, diversity training aims to combat racism, sexism, exclusion, and ethnocentrism. However, today's marketplace offers an additional connotation which is emphasizes giving individuals and companies competencies needed to navigate the complexities of a modern, culturally diverse world. This has led many to use the term cultural competency. DTUI courses provide the competencies needed to get the most out of interactions with people of a different race, gender, or nationality.

How is diversity training different from multicultural, cross-cultural, and race relations training?

Multicultural training focuses on educating people to understand and appreciate cultural differences. Diversity training, from the DTUI perspective, focuses on building community rather than pointing out how people are different. Appreciation of differences is important, but it is not considered the sufficient to constitute a competency. The abilities to make others comfortable and included, in contrast, emphasize knowledge and skills.

Cross-cultural training focuses on educating people to manage themselves in other countries or as a minority in majority cultural group. DTUI provides knowledge and skills to manage cultural differences that exist in one's own country and across borders. Diversity also includes gender, sexual preference, religion, and other types of diversity that are not central in cross-cultural training.

Race relations training focuses on educating people to understand and appreciate racial differences, and helping members of different racial groups get along. Race refers to skin color differences in the United States while Europeans tend to include nationality, or geographical differences, in their definition. American race relations trainers often assume that White American privilege is a central problem in addressing racism. The best general diversity training program includes race relations while focusing primarily on addressing the challenges of dealing with people who are different. The problems that make it difficult to find understand cultural differences, such as institutional barriers, are considered rather placing blame on individuals and groups. The institutional context that reproduces and sustains -isms become the target, for example, rather than the individual whose actions. In this way, individuals have opportunities to learn how their behaviors either express inclusive or exclusive acts, and groups of people can agree to work collectively in changing exclusive aspects of the institution they share.

What does the diversity trainer do for the typical client?

The diversity trainer focuses on the client organization's present level of inclusion. Progressive organizations, such as the technology giant, QualComm, the FCC, and the city of San Diego, value employee differences. Diversity training is extensive in such organizations. The City of San Diego has its own diversity office from which expert diversity trainers serve as in-house trainers. Even the city's police officers receive extensive training in preparation for working in the diverse community. Committed organizations require intensive training, ranging from a minimum 3-day workshop to 1-week programs with follow-up sessions. These companies are increasing as evidence by the sheer number of diversity courses being offered.

Companies competing in the international marketplace are more likely to require sojourner training for employees relocating to a foreign country. It became apparent early in the global marketing sector that requiring employees training for managers with foreign assignments increases their effectiveness. Adjustment problems are evident in the employee's spouse and children, who seldom have access to such training. Diversity trainers can provide training and counseling before employees travel and to help them readjust upon return.

Other organizations offer training because one or more of its insightful leaders persuade the others to commit to addressing diversity issues. These organizations tend will likely offer half-day to full-day workshops to employees.

Oftentimes, a client brings in a diversity trainer to manage a crisis. An employee may have filed a harassment complaint against a co-worker or the company responds to a real or perceived threat of a discrimination suit. Occasionally, diversity training is required to meet the terms of a lawsuit settlement. These present some of the more challenging training situations for diversity trainers.

Why is there an increase in the use of diversity trainers?

Diversity trainers are becoming popular for several reasons:

• Changing demographics in the United States has led to increased workplace diversity. Employers can no longer afford to hire people of their same race, gender, and nationality. Diversity trainers help them make good employee selection decisions, promote productive team work, and develop effective intercultural communication.
• Increased diversity in organizations is creating interpersonal challenges. Diversity means that people will have different points of view about how to solve problems and complete tasks. The differences can lead to misunderstanding as a result. Diversity trainers often serve as conflict resolution facilitators.
• Organizations wishing to have presence in the growing global community use diversity training in their efforts to build global competencies. Sometimes this involves having a person who is competent in the area as an administrator and primary facilitator.
• Affirmative action directors, equal employment officers, and employee relations officers are becoming a central part of organizational life. They assist in activities ranging from managing employee diversity to protecting their company from lawsuits.
• Having diversity specialists on staff or as a consultant make good business sense in today's world. The high functioning and advanced organizations of today value its diversity, and seeks to promote employee diversity to stay at the forefront of innovation.

Why would individuals or companies without diversity-related problems need diversity trainer expertise?

Americans are not socialized adequately to live and work in multicultural settings. Where there is employee diversity, diversity-related problems are either waiting to happen or they exist under the surface. The increased numbers of harassment and discrimination multimillion dollar lawsuits settlements attest to this. Many managers are not prepared to deal with the reality of workplace diversity. They do not act on employee diversity-related complaints because they are ill-prepared.

Who hires a diversity trainer and why?

Managers, supervisors, social workers, psychotherapists, lawyers, doctors, salespersons, accountants, CEO's, trainers, business consultants, and a host of others hire diversity trainers. Diversity trainers are being hired today as a personal coach by individuals seeking to:

• Manage a personal intercultural conflict,
• Develop intercultural competencies, and
• Manage a conflict between supervisors

Diversity trainers are often hired by an organization to:

• resolve an intercultural conflict,
• prepare employees for foreign country work & repatriation,
• assist in preparation for increased employee diversity,
• provide diversity training for managers and/or employees.

A diversity trainer does what most trainers and consultants do. They consult to management or offered courses/workshops. In addition, diversity trainers are sought as coaches to assist individuals in the development of intercultural skills.

Diversity trainers offer their skills in a variety of ways. Often, an organization will ask for a proposal to conduct a course or workshop. Sometimes the proposal will address general intercultural awareness/attitude training. Often an organization has a particular intercultural conflict that needs to be addressed. The consultant/trainer interviews the manager and anyone else with relevant knowledge to assess the needs.

Sometimes the organization requires evaluation of the workshop or course, but trainers need to be prepared to provide their own evaluation form. Providing your own is considered necessary to evaluate your performance and seek areas needing improvement.

Can diversity training create more problems than solutions?

Yes, if the trainer is not competent. Most diversity trainers do not have credentials other than a couple of workshops they attended and a strong desire to earn a living in the area. A major source of incompetence results from the trainer's inability to understand how their own biases create obstacles for effective training. Usually, major problems are absent in the profession, even when people are incompetent. However, some people exposed to diversity training experience adjustment difficulties or heightened prejudice from poor training outcomes. These problems occur when the trainer fails to offer opportunities for participants to state their beliefs and values honestly or treat honestly with disrespect. DTUI trains the competencies needed to overcome these problems and helps trainers experience a sense of accomplishment in their work.

How long must an individual or company commit to working with a diversity trainer?

No strict guidelines exist that specify how much commitment an individual or organization should request or expect from a diversity trainer. However, some expert diversity trainers will not work with an organization who will not commit to a workshop or course that lasts a minimum of four days. Too many organizations are not willing to pay for more than 2-3 hours for diversity training. A few are committed to the extent that they develop an in-hour diversity training group to service the entire company.

What does it cost to hire a diversity trainer?

The cost of hiring a diversity trainer depends on the client's needs. A diversity trainer hired to conduct a workshop can charge by the hour or provide a total workshop package price. Those serving as consultants can charge by the hour or larger periods, such as day and half-day fees. The diversity trainer serving as an executive coach may charge by the hour or offer package prices (e.g., in 8-hour blocks).

Diversity trainer fees are also determined by credentials. Inexperienced diversity trainers receive low fees compared to those with a reputation. Professionals with less that an undergraduate education are not common in the profession. A certified diversity trainer with a Ph.D. will undoubtedly charge much higher fees than an uncertified trainer with a bachelors degree. Certification and excellent training make the bigger difference, no matter the degree level.

Too many clients do not know what to ask for when seeking diversity expertise. They assume that skin color or commitment to diversity is sufficient. DTUI offers a credential that specifies diversity trainer expertise that potential clients cannot ignore.

If you like the above information, check out DTUI courses now.

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