Why is diversity and inclusion training important?
If you’re asking yourself why diversity & inclusion training is so important, there are plenty of reasons why increasing diversity in the workplace can be beneficial. A better question might be, “What is the cost of not focusing on diversity and inclusion in the workplace?”
- You limit the pool of qualified candidates you have to choose from.
- Your organization will face the additional costs of talent acquisition, talent retention, and training of new talent if you have a hostile or stressful workplace.
- Not only do you have acquisition costs, but you lose productivity when you continuously have to replace talent.
- Discrimination of protected classes leads to workplace disruptions and possible litigation.
It just isn’t worth it in this day and age to ignore the positive aspects of a more diverse and creative workplace while running the risk of making decisions that possibly lead to workplace disruptions or lawsuits.
Organizations that lack the commitment to diversity don’t just miss out on all the benefits, they also create business problems for themselves. Whether it’s through overt discrimination or simply a lack of cultural competence at the leadership and HR levels, businesses that disregard building a thoughtful approach to diversity put themselves in a risky business and legal position.
Businesses can’t just preach diversity on paper. The “checkbox” trainings many organizations host do little to make inclusion a daily workplace value. Diversity, equity, and inclusion needs to be part of the culture at every level. A half-hearted approach to diversity and inclusion can set you up for bigger failure. The organization comes away looking either disconnected from its values or like a fraud. Only say what you are actually going to do when it comes to implementing a diversity, equity, and inclusion program.