Beyond the Basics: Advanced DEI Training Topics for Your Workforce
Building an effective workforce means more than attracting top talent. It means creating an environment that reduces turnover and in which your employees can thrive. Recent research shows that 68% of people under 30 believe a focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion is a good thing.
If you want to create an inclusive work environment, you need to offer multiple levels of DEI training topics. Not sure which topics to offer to build a comprehensive training program? Read on for an introduction to some critical advanced diversity training topics!
Unconscious Bias
We know that bias means a prejudice someone has for or against something or someone. Bias goes much deeper than the things you actively think about, though. That’s where unconscious bias training comes in.
Unconscious bias describes feelings you have that are ingrained in you due to societal beliefs, family beliefs, or past experiences. A classic example of this is when you experience a feeling of discomfort when you’re walking down the street at night and a person of color comes walking toward you.
Unconscious bias training helps people identify potential unconscious biases they may have. It also gives them the tools they need to dismantle those biases.
Creating Psychological Safety
Participating in training and sharing openly is a vulnerable thing, especially in the workplace. If you want to maximize the effectiveness of your training and the relationships between your employees, then psychological safety training is critical. This training typically teaches skills like:
- Healthy debate
- Mutual respect
- Civility
- Compromise
- Genuine listening
The outcome is an environment where employees can be open when they see or feel like something is off, and repairs are made.
Inclusive Language and Communication
The words you use and the way you communicate have power. It’s easy to accidentally alienate others because of these two components of communication. Diversity training programs like this help you work on removing problematic slang and idioms and communicate in ways that make everyone feel safe and respected.
Cultural Competency
Cultural competency is more than memorizing facts about different cultures. It is a way to frame your understanding of other people in your workplace. The goal of this type of training is to reduce the likelihood that insensitive questions or discussions occur.
Additionally, this training teaches people about the concept of intersectionality. This refers to the various identities that each person holds (e.g. their race, religion, sexuality), and how those identities intersect and impact them. Understanding intersectionality helps frame conversations and make working relationships safer and more effective.
Support Your Workforce with Different DEI Training Topics!
Equity education should be more than just a box you check when you hire someone. Building a comprehensive library of DEI training topics fosters a safer work environment, leading to increased productivity. If you don’t already have advanced topics in DEI training as part of your workforce development, then there’s never been a better time to get started!
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