Are diversity trainings effective?

The effectiveness of diversity training is subject to debate, with varied outcomes depending on the approach and implementation.

1. Effective Approaches:

   • Awareness, Motivation, and Strategies: Jessica Nordell highlights the success of the University of Wisconsin Madison's bias intervention training, which combines awareness, motivation, and practical strategies to combat bias. This training has shown to effectively change behaviors and attitudes towards diversity even years later 1.
   • Behavior-Focused Programs: Adam Grant discusses BAE Systems' approach, which includes the development of a personal action plan for promoting diversity and holding participants accountable. This method focuses on treating bias as a habitual behavior to change, which has led to meaningful improvements in hiring practices and inclusivity 2.

2. Challenges and Limitations:

   • Defensiveness and Futility: Traditional diversity training often fails due to defensiveness, futility, and uncertainty among participants. Some studies suggest that mandatory training can even decrease the promotion rates of marginalized groups 3.
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       1

       Transforming Bias

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       2

       Breaking Bias Habits

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       3

       Bias Training Failures

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       4

       Diversity and Change

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       5

       IAT Effectiveness Debate

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       6

       Rethinking Diversity Training

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   • Systemic Changes Preferred: Katy Milkman argues that structural changes within organizations, like automatic consideration for promotions, are more effective than traditional training programs. These changes create environments that naturally support diversity 4.

3. Mixed Evidence and Criticisms:

   • Implicit Association Test (IAT): The IAT, often used in diversity training, has been critiqued for its low reliability in predicting real-world behavior. While some interventions change IAT scores, evidence showing these changes lead to meaningful behavior change remains weak 5.
   • Ownership by Leadership: Joanne Lipman notes that diversity training often fails because it's treated as a checkbox activity by HR rather than a core business strategy. Effective diversity initiatives require commitment and ownership from top leadership 6.

In summary, while certain tailored and accountability-focused diversity trainings show promise, broad evidence suggests that without systemic and structural changes, their effectiveness can be limited or even counterproductive. Thus, combining training with robust institutional support is crucial for achieving meaningful diversity and inclusion.