What is diversity training?
The term diversity training encompasses a wide range of topics and programs aimed at helping individuals and companies flourish in an increasingly diverse society. Unlike forty years ago, when the average American worker was a white male with a wife and 2.3 children at home, today’s American worker (who is most likely not a white male) works with people of different genders and of different ages from many different ethnicities and with many different beliefs. Likewise, companies are increasingly seeking to understand how they can adapt their business practices to a similar wide array of customers and clients.
This is where diversity training comes in. Through a variety of different measures, diversity training equips employees and companies to work with and market to people from all backgrounds. These measures might include seminars on affirmative action or other federal measures. They might include team-building exercises encouraging employees of different genders and backgrounds to work together and build relationships. On a more basic level, diversity training could be videos, readings, or lectures informing employees on different cultures and how to be culturally sensitive.
From the advertisement of an “Equal Employment Opportunity Corporation” to the global mergers reported during the nightly news, diversity is increasingly an important factor in the world of business. As the Frenchman Michel de Montaigne said, “The most universal quality is diversity.” Diversity training equips individuals and companies to deal with such a diverse world.