Most companies have increasingly been paying attention to acting as diversely and inclusively as possible in recent years. However, the implementation does not succeed in all areas. To get a step closer to this goal, e-learning can be a good option: draw attention to the topic, make employees aware in this area, and support them accordingly.
That's why inclusion and diversity are so important in the workplace
Various studies, such as the international McKinsey study, show: Diversity influences company success! Companies with a particularly high degree of diversity are most likely above-average profitable, and employees are much more satisfied with their jobs. This applies to all aspects, whether gender, ethnic origin, or social background.
The connection between diversity in management and business success is real. Promoting talents from diverse backgrounds, men and women alike, different ethnicities, and academic backgrounds, is both a matter of justice and a business priority. – Julia Sperling, McKinsey Partner Frankfurt
Other studies also show that the relevance of diversity and inclusion is largely underestimated and that in most companies there is no clear accountability for the topic. However, it brings several advantages to companies when they promote a diverse and inclusive environment. According to the leading job portal Indeed, diversity in the workplace offers the following 5 advantages:
Employees find better and more creative problem solutions.
Diversity promotes better decision-making.
Company profits and team productivity increase.
Employee turnover within the team decreases.
The company's reputation improves significantly.
But it’s not just about promoting underrepresented groups – all employees must feel comfortable and safe in their work environment to contribute successfully to their work.
Promote inclusion and diversity to strengthen employee productivity and satisfaction.
This is how you promote an inclusive and diverse work atmosphere with e-learning
In the current times, it is no longer enough for a company to exude a certain "openness" – employees demand clear actions! Learning platforms and e-learning tools provide a good opportunity to promote cultural change within companies. Because e-learning can create a space for exchange and knowledge acquisition.
As a responsible person, you can provide suitable learning content on these relevant topics on-demand. This content supports long-term changes in attitudes and behaviors. Thus, e-learning contributes long-term to open and inclusive corporate governance.
For it to be effective, training managers should pay attention to the following things:
1. Regularly conduct surveys among employees
As in all areas, the same goes for inclusion: Monitor your measures and try to continuously improve them. For a genuine change in actions and thinking to emerge among employees, they must naturally participate in your measures. This only happens if they are engaging and content-rich. Therefore, regularly reflect on your own content and check who is taking advantage of your training offerings.
If you notice that some individuals are increasingly not participating in these offerings, that is your indication of potential improvement. Engage with these employees and work together on solutions so that your learning content is relevant and sensible for them.
2. Provide all employees with equal access to knowledge
People are not all the same, thankfully! You should also consider this in your learning content and training measures.
An appropriate learning platform helps you address the various needs: You can create content in different languages or pay attention to easy-to-read language to ensure accessibility. Another option is provided through media diversity. Learning content does not always have to be in text form! Videos, podcasts, or quizzes offer great opportunities for providing knowledge.
Are you looking for a learning platform with easy access for all employees? Discover the various possibilities of blink.it in an exclusive demo:
3. Make cultural diversity a part of training
If employees don’t feel addressed by the learning content, they won’t engage with it. Especially cultural biases can lead employees to feel they don't belong, and hence not participate in your learning offerings.
This applies not only to the content itself but also to the presentation form: When creating learning content, ensure it represents as many employees as possible. In addition to varied media content, the actors in your training also play a role. Involve employees directly in the conception so they become a part of your training themselves. This way, you'll ensure the consideration of cultural differences, languages, or special characteristics in learning behaviors.
4. Systematically address unconscious biases
Classic awareness-raising work is no longer enough to adequately address the important topic of inclusion and achieve real change within your team. Therefore, it is all the more crucial to uncover and refute implicit biases. To approach these unconscious behaviors, e-learning offers various possibilities: Whether role plays or classic discussions – in all cases it is important to approach one another.
In acute cases, it is also advisable to involve disadvantaged employees and give them a voice. People learn best when confronted with real-life examples. If an employee sees how a certain behavior affects a colleague's well-being, they will understand the problem faster. Move from hypothetical examples to practice!
5. Involve direct managers in the planning
When new initiatives are introduced, decision-makers often encounter skepticism. However, if supervisors lead by example, this quickly diminishes – after all, the opinions of closer individuals often count more than that of the top boss. Read more about this in the article on Boosting Motivation in E-Learning: Involve Leaders!
Learning platforms offer you as a training manager better opportunities to further develop content in your own team and adapt it accordingly. We must slowly move away from universally applicable learning content to achieve actual learning success! Let learning content be as individual as the entire team – and this can only happen through the active participation of all involved.
Now that you have a selection of helpful tips, you can directly address the topic of inclusion in your e-learning. Or are you still missing a suitable learning platform? Then schedule your free demo appointment now, or try blink.it directly in the demo course on "Improving Time Management".
Test blink.it
Free Online Course
Do you want to know what possibilities exist in designing e-learning? Then participate in the free time management course now and find out if blink.it is right for you!
Join the example course now
Do you have questions about blink.it or this article?
Please feel free to write to us if you have any questions about the product or specifically about this article. Our marketing team is available to you by email or will pass your inquiry on to an appropriate Blinkie 😊
