Diversity and Sensitivity Training

Multiculturalism is an aspect of diversity training that addresses specific cultural concerns. This means understanding and accepting the differences and appreciating the cultural differences of others. When people of different cultures interact, it’s common for certain behaviors to be misunderstood or misinterpreted.

As an example, an employee from another culture may continually ask a manager for direction, “What should I do next?” The manager might interpret this behavior as lacking in initiative, while the employee may be reflecting a cultural action of deferring to a manager – keeping the managerial hierarchy in place.

Cultural groups are based on several characteristics including race, ethnicity, gender, age, sexual orientation, religion, immigration status, language and nationality. Diversity and sensitivity training uncovers some of the cultural differences than can affect job performance and may be critical to understanding how to interact with a multicultural customer base.

Diversity and sensitivity training allows companies to address the fact that multiculturalism is an increasing factor in business. Merely adopting an attitude of “ignoring differences” won’t produce an effective or productive work environment. It’s more likely to lead to disgruntlement and an attitude of unwitting consent to harassment or discrimination. Diversity and sensitivity training brings the issue to the forefront so that it can be properly addressed and company policies set in place.

Within these cultural differences, it’s equally important to provide appropriate sexual harassment training, as harassment is viewed so differently within varying cultures. The more pro-active a company is in regards to diversity or sexual harassment training, the lower the occurrence of employee incidents. Employee training assists companies in establishing a safe environment for all employees, increasing productivity, and building a foundation of understanding.

On-site diversity and sensitivity training is a cost-effective training solution that saves businesses time and money. With proper training, you create a positive work environment for your employees.