How to Create Belonging Through Effective, Tailored DEIB Training

When your employees look around the table at an all-hands meeting or company training, what do they notice? In diverse workplaces, they likely see a cross-section of society, with people of varying backgrounds, ages, and experiences working together. 

In this scenario, how do your employees feel? The distinction is important. While seeing diversity in action matters immensely, it’s equally imperative that each team member feels like they belong and senses they’re a welcome, valued part of the organization. 

Promoting a sense of belonging alongside other DEIB training initiatives is the key to ensuring that every individual’s workplace experience lives up to your company’s mission of inclusion. 

What Is DEIB vs. DEI?

Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) is a collection of programs and strategies promoting a workplace where people from all walks of life feel seen and supported. 

DEIB adds another crucial element to DEI: belonging. For organizations, creating a culture of belonging means fostering an environment in which every employee can experience a feeling of belonging and, as a result, do their best work. At a high level, it requires building representative teams so that when people look around, they intuitively understand that “people like me can be successful here.” (In other words, diversity.) It takes building fair processes and practices so people’s identities don’t limit or predict their ability to be successful. (In other words, equity.) It also takes standing up for the policies, practices, and norms that allow people to thrive at work. (In other words, inclusion.)

The Value of DEIB Training

Belonging is essential for employee engagement and satisfaction. When team members get signals of belonging in the office, they feel respected, accepted, and celebrated. They’re more likely to be excited about bringing their best to their role every day. Our research shows when employees feel like they belong, they are 10X more engaged. 

When employees feel they belong, both employees and organizations thrive. The value of DEIB training and practices can be felt across all areas of the organization. 

Employee Experience and Engagement 

DEIB training enhances employee experience and engagement by fostering a supportive and inclusive work environment built on open communication, mutual respect, and understanding. When employees feel their voices are heard and valued, they are more likely to invest emotionally and intellectually in their work, boosting motivation, productivity, and job satisfaction.  

A sense of belonging empowers team members to share their unique perspectives and embrace their role within the organization to drive innovation. Paradigm research conducted with Culture Amp underscores this impact, showing that “belonging” is the one metric consistently and universally tied to workplace commitment, motivation, and pride. Even when accounting for differences across gender, ethnicity, age, or sexual orientation, the data showed that employees are more likely to be engaged if they feel like they belong.

Hiring and Retention Improvements

DEIB training minimizes unconscious bias and creates better hiring and performance management practices that help companies attract and retain high-performing workforces. Creating an inclusive culture where people feel like they belong also helps organizations unlock the potential of their workforces. 

Innovation

DEIB training fosters an environment where strong ideas flourish and employees feel safe sharing innovative solutions. Creating a welcoming space for talent from diverse backgrounds encourages collaborative problem-solving and creativity, sparking collective success.

Revenue Opportunities 

DEIB training directly contributes to business benefits like revenue growth by creating a more inclusive environment that attracts a broader customer base. Companies with executive teams in the top quartile of ethnic and gender representation show a 39 percent increase in the likelihood of financial outperformance over those in the bottom quartile.

Companies with diverse teams are better equipped to understand and cater to the multifaceted needs of global markets, leading to innovative products and services that drive sales and profitability. Efforts to foster belonging also make customers feel represented and understood, increasing their loyalty to brands that mirror their values and address their diverse needs.

Risk Reduction

DEI strategy significantly lowers organizational risk by promoting practices that prevent inequities, discrimination, and harassment, creating a safer workplace. It also ensures that marketing and communication materials are sensitive to diverse backgrounds. Creating belonging in your communications gives customers a positive perception of your brand while protecting the interests of team members and the business.

7 Key Components of Impactful DEIB Training

To boost belonging and increase the impact of your DEI programs, try the following strategies. When used together, they provide a clear view of current diversity, steps to unite those with different backgrounds and experiences, and ways to measure long-term success. 

1. Assess Your Data

Assessing diversity and demographic data with a tool like Paradigm Blueprint is crucial when creating or refining a DEIB program. It helps you understand your current opportunities and challenges so you can prioritize the programs that will make an impact. Technology offers tools to accurately and efficiently gather and analyze this data, simplifying the task. 

2. Gather Employee Input

Learning how your employees feel about the workplace experience can help you tailor DEIB programs to meet specific needs and concerns. Gather feedback through surveys or focus groups to surface insights and areas for improvement. 

An employee-powered approach not only boosts participation but also enhances the effectiveness of DEIB efforts by aligning them with the staff’s lived experiences. Getting the employee perspective helps ensure your initiatives are relevant and impactful. 

3. Create a DEIB Strategy

An effective DEIB strategy begins with assessing your organization’s needs and tailoring training to address them. This involves setting relevant goals and objectives that promote diversity and inclusion while aligning with overall business strategies. Focusing on actionable insights and measurable outcomes enhances the impact of DEIB initiatives, driving meaningful change and fostering a truly inclusive workplace culture. This can also be done with Blueprint! 

4. Develop a Change Management Plan

Using a change management plan for new DEIB programs facilitates smoother adoption and implementation. It provides a structured approach for transitioning individuals, teams, and organizations to a desired future state, ensuring DEIB efforts are integrated seamlessly into workplace culture for sustainable change.

A strong change management plan outlines every aspect of the change process, from feedback collection and analysis to training and refinement. A good plan provides methods for communicating important information, receiving comments, and adjusting to unforeseen challenges.

• Timeline: A documented project timeline acts as a facilitation roadmap, guiding the implementation of new initiatives and ensuring they meet desired goals. Timeline visibility is important for coordination among team members and stakeholders. It also helps make teams more responsive to change and ensures adjustments are easier to manage.

• Reporting and feedback structure: Feedback is an important aspect of making organizational changes. Soliciting and integrating stakeholder feedback enables continuous communication, allowing for adjustments and improvements. It ensures that impacted parties feel heard, making the transition smoother and more inclusive. By tracking progress and addressing concerns promptly, organizations can maintain momentum toward achieving DEIB goals.

• Training and resources: Sufficient DEI education and resources are crucial to DEIB efforts. Training and documentation ensure all participants have the necessary skills and knowledge to embrace and integrate new programs. Tailored training sessions, learning materials, and ongoing support from leadership and points of contact empower individuals to drive meaningful change.

• Iteration: An effective change management plan leaves room for iteration. Creating a structure where leaders and employees can give feedback helps make new initiatives more effective, and data-driven insights show what’s working and what’s not. By developing a plan to incorporate data and feedback into future improvements, organizations ensure long-term adoption and success.

5. Gain Executive Buy-in

Making the business case for DEI involves highlighting its direct impact on innovation, employee satisfaction, and business performance. Finding champions for diversity starts with identifying inclusive managers and leaders who visibly support and promote DEIB initiatives. 

Encourage executives to lead by example, demonstrating commitment through their actions and decisions. This top-down approach not only fosters an inclusive culture but also signals to all employees that diversity is a valued and integral part of the organization’s success.

6. Seek Voluntary Participation

Voluntary participation is the cornerstone of successful DEIB programs, as forced participation can lead to resistance and superficial compliance rather than a genuine commitment to change. When employees choose to participate, they are more likely to be open, contribute meaningfully, and embrace the values promoted by DEIB initiatives. 

To create an environment that encourages voluntary engagement and inspires employees to engage in shared goals willingly:

• Make the case for building a more diverse workforce by outlining the benefits of DEI.
• Ensure the learning process is enjoyable, positioning diversity as a cause for celebration and an opportunity to share unique experiences and perspectives.
• Report back on progress to show employees the impact of their collective efforts.

7. Track Impact

Tracking DEIB progress through metrics quantifies the impact of initiatives and adds transparency and accountability. By setting clear, measurable goals and regularly reviewing progress, organizations can identify areas of success and those needing improvement. Tracking impact helps companies adjust ongoing strategies for more effective outcomes.

• Establish key performance indicators (KPIs): To measure the progress of your DEIB efforts, it’s important to identify appropriate diversity and inclusion KPIs. 

• Track progress: Once you understand your company’s goals and choose which metrics to measure, begin tracking your KPIs to see the benefits of implementing DEIB strategies. 

• Commit to continuous improvement: Don’t call it a day after gaining traction on your goals. Consider DEI efforts to be a development roadmap wherein, once you achieve a desired outcome, you examine the next steps that enable continuous improvement. 

How to Tailor DEIB Training to Your Company

Choosing the right DEIB training options for your organization starts with addressing gaps in your current practices. Analyze your company culture and available diversity data to identify areas where teams lack understanding or the organization needs more diverse representation. Prioritize these in your training goals. 

Find the Right Training for Your Goals

Look for training programs that align with your company’s values and have a proven track record of success. Take a blended learning approach, using various formats—such as online training, live workshops, and bite-sized microlearnings—to ensure engagement and information retention. 

Paradigm Reach and its blended training approach help you tailor DEIB learning opportunities to specific organizational challenges to maximize their efficacy and impact.

Get an Expert To Help 

Partnering with a training expert to adapt content to your company’s unique culture and objectives is an effective way to enhance DEIB initiatives. Paradigm’s DEIB consulting experts offer specialized knowledge and insights to help ensure the training you offer is relevant and engaging. Collaboration with an expert can foster a more inclusive, understanding workplace environment.

Implement the Right Tools To Track Success

Using technology to analyze training programs and DEIB initiatives allows you to track efficacy and achievements. Advanced analytical tools like Paradigm Blueprint provide real-time data for identifying trends, measuring progress against objectives, and adjusting strategies for continuous improvement. A data-driven approach ensures impactful, sustainable DEIB outcomes and helps secure stakeholder buy-in.

Build More Belonging Within Your Organization

Paradigm’s benchmarking, analytics, and training tools help organizations understand their needs, build DEI maturity, and incorporate better practices into their diversity efforts. Our DEIB tools make it easier to create a sense of belonging that resonates with every member of your organization. 

To learn more about using Paradigm’s DEIB training tools and strategies to create a place where everyone feels heard, reach out to one of our diversity experts today. 

December 3, 2024

If you're interested in learning more about Paradigm's DEIB training, contact us today!