Do we still need Diversity Training?

Earlier this year, I was having a conversation with a friend who works in senior management for a large, Fortune 500 company when I asked if his employer ever contracted trainers to teach diversity. He responded that he was unsure but went on to ask me a stunning question. He asked, “in light of the fact we have an African American President of the United States, do we even need diversity training?” I have to admit, I immediately became somewhat agitated by my friend’s question because we are both African American men. After composing myself, I explained that having an African American President no more means that racism has been eradicated than having a woman Secretary of State or an openly gay Senator mean sexism or that homophobia have dissipated. Nevertheless, our friendship survived the strained conversation.

A few months later I was again chatting with my friend and he mentioned that one of his colleagues, another African American who worked in upper management for the same company had returned from vacation to a rude awakening: The N-word had been written on his office door. When my friend remarked incessantly about how awful and outraged the ordeal made him feel, I reminded him of the conversation we shared three months prior regarding the relevance and need for diversity training.

QCG’s Diversity Series is designed specifically for state and government agencies, universities, non-profit organizations and corporations to address sensitive issues related to diversity appreciation. The series includes topics such as race, white privilege, sexism, homophobia, classism, and religion oppression. Participants are fast-tracked on a trajectory towards inclusion and appreciation of differences. Please contact us today to discuss a customized diversity appreciation program that meets the specific needs of your organization.

AmeriCorps Retention Workshop

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AmeriCorps Retention Workshop

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House of Representatives Announce Diversity Initiative

Pelosi and Brady Launch Diversity Initiative on the Hill

April 15, 2010 by latinovations · Leave a Comment

In an effort to address the dramatically low level of minorities among congressional staffers, particularly at the senior level, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi on Tuesday joined House Administration Chairman Robert A. Brady to announce the formation of a new diversity initiative that will intensify minority recruitment and retention efforts.

The initiative, developed with House Republican Leader John Boehner and House Administration Committee Ranking Member Dan Lungren, will coordinate its efforts with an Advisory Council which includes members of the Congressional Asian Pacific American, Black and Hispanic Caucuses.

An internal assessment conducted last year revealed that only 13 percent of House chiefs of staff were minorities. Of the 199 offices that responded to the study conducted by the House’s chief administrative officer (CAO), 7.5 percent of chiefs of staff were black, 2.7 percent were Hispanic, 1.6 percent were Asian and 1.1 percent were American Indian. There were no Pacific Islanders.

Nationally, according to the Census Bureau, an estimated 35 percent of the US population is comprised of ethnic minorities, specifically: 12.5 percent Latino, 12.3 percent African-American, 5.5 percent some other race, 3.6 percent Asian and 1 percent American Indian.

Pelosi said in a statement, “ Diversity is one of America’s fundamental strengths and all of our nation’s communities are a rich source of exceptional talent. Drawing from this diverse pool of talent will ensure that the House of Representatives benefits from new and innovative solutions to our complex national challenges.”

In February of this year, the Congressional Hispanic Staff Association issued a report calling the low level of staff diveristy a crisis, the report states, “The shortage of representation is not simply a ‘Latino issue’, but is part of the larger issue of ensuring that insitutions that run and oversee government reflect America’s population.”

Congressman Xavier Becerra (CA-31), Vice Chair of the House Democratic Caucus, joined othes in applauding the announcement by saying, “we are strengthening our commitment to inclusiveness and providing equal opportunity for all. This initiative will help the People’s House better reflect and represent all the people of our great country.”

AmeriCorps Recruitment workshop

Check out this SlideShare Presentation: on recruiting AmeriCorps members.

Ameri corps recruitment workshop

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Does Diversity Training Really Work?

Somewhat recent research propose that training in the area of diversity does little to nothing in the way of making a significant impact on behavioral change. Researchers at prestigious universities such as Princeton, Yale, and Columbia report that limited empirical evidence exists to support the benefits of diversity training.

There are several limitations to this study. The study involved a survey-design of 800 companies. The validity of survey design often lends itself to various limitations. For example, research shows that respondents to surveys often hurry through the answering of questions in an effort to complete the survey or fail to answer questions. Additionally, in many cases respondents do not fully understand the question or its implications. A major limitation specific to this study is the fact that the research sought to discover the impact of diversity on affirmative action and hiring practices. Affirmative action in and of itself carries substantial negative connotations that may have negatively influenced the the survey results. Additionally, as it relates to hiring practices, the respondents may not have been the most appropriate persons within the organization to respond to how diversity trainings impact hiring practices and foster behavioral change.

The study is right in one sense alone - more substantial research is needed on the impact of diversity training. Considering the current state of affairs in this country regarding tolerance among race, religion, sexual orientation, gender, political choice etc. more diversity training can only help.