How can diversity training benefit an individual?
During diversity training, employees are guided in the basics of building relationships with people from many different backgrounds. Understandably, this skill can pay major rewards for the employee. Employees who are relationally skilled are better communicators and thus have a head start on conducting business.
In the workplace, diversity-wise employees benefit from improved teamwork. Co-workers are naturally quick to help employees who have previously shown respect to them. On the opposite end of the spectrum, employees or say or do culturally insensitive things could find themselves disciplined or even fired. In one notable example, Rush Limbaugh was widely criticized and eventually left his position with the network after his comment that one NFL quarterback was favored because he was black.
In addition, cultural awareness and sensitivity benefits an individual’s job prospects. As globalism advances, companies increasingly search for employees who are able to work in a diverse environment—thus, the push for bilingual or trilingual employees. If your company wants to send you to Japan, could you excel? If you were in an office of all men (or all women), would you be able to work well with them? Can you relate to people who are different from you?