As an HR Professional, would you allow any conflict or discrimination among your staff?
To attract and retain top talent, an inclusive work environment is essential. However, in some circumstances, unconscious biases or misunderstandings create a barrier to effective communication.
Julia had been feeling uncomfortable with one of her co-workers’ constant jokes about black people. Being an African, she felt offended and reported this to her supervisor. Now, what was the supervisor’s step to resolve the issue?
He conducted sensitivity training sessions for his staff. Everybody on the team was open to expressing how they felt about their peers’ behavior.
The technique worked. The offending co-worker soon realized that his jokes were also making other people uncomfortable. He just apologized.
This way, developing an engaging workplace sensitivity training program helped eliminate chaos.
So, let’s discuss sensitivity training in the workplace and how it is the next “new thing” to improve the office environment.
What is Sensitivity Training?
Sensitivity training is a psychological approach that uses in-depth group conversations and exchanges to raise awareness of one’s biases and sensitivity to others. People of various ages, genders, skills, and races gather in a general meeting. Here, a passive leader generates a secure environment where participants can talk about various topics and create positive relationships with one another.
Not only does workplace sensitivity training cover themes like stopping harassment and discrimination, but it also covers how to deal with challenging personalities, raise your emotional intelligence, and even stop gossip.
Therefore, sensitivity training must be an ongoing practice to enhance the working environment just like computer ethics in the workplace.
Examples Of Workplace Sensitivity Training
Here are two real-life examples of workplace sensitivity training:
- Starbucks’ Racial Bias Incident
In April 2018, two Black men were arrested at a Philadelphia Starbucks for sitting in the store without making a purchase while waiting for a friend. This incident sparked widespread outrage and accusations of racial bias.
To that, Starbucks took the significant step of closing 8,000 stores across the United States for a day to conduct racial bias training for 175,000 employees. The training aimed to address implicit bias, promote understanding, and improve interactions with customers of all backgrounds.
- Google’s Gender Discrimination Controversy
In 2017, a memo written by a Google engineer criticizing the company’s diversity policies and suggesting that biological differences between men and women accounted for the gender gap in tech roles went viral. The memo sparked a heated debate about gender discrimination and diversity in the workplace.
In response, Google expanded its diversity training programs, including enhanced sensitivity training to foster a more inclusive culture. This training was designed to help employees understand and mitigate unconscious biases related to gender and other aspects of diversity.
Why is Sensitivity Training in the Workplace Important?
A comprehensive sensitivity training program for your staff helps you maintain the company’s well-being while creating a positive work environment for each employee.
Here are five reasons why sensitivity training in the workplace is important:
1. Prevents Discrimination
The greatest concern in any organization has always been workplace discrimination. Workers reported having encountered discrimination at work. This number is alarmingly rising over time, but one way to avert this trend is by offering sensitivity training to staff members.
This program raises awareness of unconscious biases contributing to a toxic work environment. Also, it encourages inclusive behaviors and lowers the likelihood of harassment and discriminatory acts at work.
2. Improves Interpersonal Relationship
Clear communication is essential for resolving disputes and minimizing miscommunications and slanders in the workplace. And sensitivity training is the most effective method to get there. By implementing an appropriate sensitivity training program, you enable your staff members to develop confidence and trust among them.
Moreover, this training helps your staff to develop empathy and a thorough understanding to value the viewpoints of other employees. Thus, considering things from other’s perspective is the key to making the workplace a better one.
3. Enhances Awareness of Diversity and Inclusion
Sensitivity training helps staff members identify their prejudices via interactive exercises and candid conversations. It also imparts practical information through case studies and real-world situations. Also, it helps them learn more and develop concern for each worker, regardless of their cultural background.
Sensitivity training goes beyond simply teaching employees about differences; it also involves them through role-playing, open debates, and simulations. As a result, there is a greater sense of unity and less “us” vs “them” mentality.
4. Improves Employee Morale
According to a recent Deloitte LLP poll, 83% of millennials actively participated in an inclusive workplace atmosphere. Your staff will feel supported and free to make changes in the workplace if they have received sensitivity training. It teaches people to challenge prejudicial beliefs, accept diversity, and show respect for their colleagues.
Furthermore, they will be better equipped to recognize and eliminate unforeseen instances of bias or microaggressions.
5. Improves organizational reputation
Who won’t want to take their business to a higher level or improve their corporate reputation. Being an HR executive, you need to know all the platforms to up your game. That could be some e-learning site or a good training course to groom your staff.
If you invest in a quality sensitivity training program, you can stand out as a reputed employer. This training is one of the indicators that you value each employee. It shows your concern about including the best practices to promote ethics and norms. Thus, creating a positive reputation for your work environment in the market.
Final Thoughts
Sensitivity training in the workplace plays a crucial role in creating a positive and inclusive work environment. It helps prevent discrimination, improves interpersonal relationships, enhances awareness of diversity and inclusion, boosts employee morale, and improves the overall reputation of the organization.
By addressing unconscious biases, generating empathy, and promoting respectful communication, sensitivity training can contribute to a more harmonious and productive workplace. Investing in such training programs demonstrates a commitment to creating a diverse and inclusive environment, which can attract and retain top talent.
Lastly, as HR professionals, it is important to recognize the value of sensitivity training and try to implement it as an ongoing practice to continually improve the working environment.