Today’s Advisor is adapted from the Ask the Trainer feature on BLR’s hr.blr.com.
The training question is, “How can trainers ensure the success of a diversity training program?”
Here is how our training expert responded:
Paul Lawrence Vann, a motivational speaker, author, and trainer, recommends providing diversity training to all employees—from top management to rank-and-file employees—on an ongoing basis. “Diversity is a marathon and not a sprint,” he says.
Vann says diversity training should cover awareness of the concept of diversity; knowledge of other cultures and their impact; and skills training, such as managing multicultural conflicts and leading meetings in a diverse group. “Managers have to be constantly aware of new trends and new techniques in order to work with and manage their employees,” and employees also need to be familiar with the concept of diversity and its importance in the workplace, he says.
Vann maintains that support from management is critical for the success of diversity training. Managers need to recognize changing demographics and take an active role in promoting diversity. “Diversity training is going to be paramount for organizations to flourish in the future.” If management positions diversity as a key component in its strategic business plan, employees will be more likely to embrace the concept and to attend diversity training sessions, he says.
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Creating a “safe environment” in which training participants are encouraged to share openly and candidly with one another is also important. He says trainers should expect some level of discomfort among employees during diversity training, “because change is constant, and change is sometimes unsettling to people.”
If you’re having trouble helping learners get past myths and stereotypes and embrace diversity, Vann offers the following advice: Put learners in groups of 5 to 7 employees and “try to get every individual to participate as much as possible” through small group discussions or exercises. This helps employees take ownership of learning, instead of a trainer forcing the information on them, he says.
Vann also recommends conducting surveys and focus groups to determine whether the training met participants’ expectations and how the program can be improved in the future.
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Even if you use some of Vann’s ideas for successful diversity training, you still need great, accurate training information. Where can you get ready-made and up-to-date training content?
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TrainingToday is a leading provider of online education programs for employees and supervisors. Each course in our extensive library addresses a specific topic with engaging and interactive presentations, delivering practical advice and clear instructions that trainees will remember long after the training is complete.
Three Delivery Platforms
TrainingToday offers you the option of three delivery platforms to meet your organization’s needs:
Professional
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Enterprise
The Enterprise platform includes all the features of the Professional version, plus:
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SCORM
- Integrate content into your existing LMS.
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Here are just some of the many courses available at TrainingToday:
[Click here to download information on all courses and libraries.]
Over 75 HR and employment training courses covering such topics as sexual harassment, diversity, and the ADA.
The Diversity library is an interactive training program with different modules for supervisors and employees. It features real-world scenarios and insightful commentary from a leading workplace expert and employment law attorney.
Preventing Sexual Harassment—National
Until now, training has been a real challenge—there’s such a load of extraneous planning, preparing, and tracking involved. But we’ve got good news—BLR’s editors have developed a unique new program so all that work is done for you.
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These are all motivational, actionable courses—for both employees and supervisors—in such key areas as sexual harassment, the FMLA, diversity, communication, USERRA, recruiting, and many more. The courses are kept up to date to reflect federal and state regulatory changes, and what’s more, BLR adds new programs continually.
TrainingToday also includes a selection of safety courses—you decide whether you want just the HR courses, the safety courses, or both.
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