Pride Month is over, meaning the cheery rainbow logos and pride memorabilia are tucked away until next June. However, just because the month is over does not mean that the support for the LGBTQIA+ community should as well. A study done by LinkedIn has found that over half of LGBTQIA+ employees are looking for their organization to have enforceable policies in place to ensure workplaces are free of discrimination and microaggressions. This includes offering education and bias training for managers and individual contributors. Bias education and training is an effective way to move your inclusion efforts from a simple show of support to real, impactful change for the LGBTQIA+ community within your organization.

Most times, biases stem from one’s lack of education and experience. Implementing organizational-wide diversity and bias training is a great way to address all kinds of bias and ensure you’re creating a culture of diversity and inclusion! 

This is especially true when it comes to implicit bias, which stems from attitudes and stereotypes that can unconsciously influence how we make decisions. 

You may be thinking - I don’t have any biases and neither does my team!

Unfortunately, this may not be as true as you may think. As many organizations strive to create a diverse workforce, this unseen force could be working against that goal.

Training for implicit bias is designed to expose people to their unconscious biases, provide tools to adjust their patterns of thinking, and ultimately eliminate discriminatory behaviors. 

To prepare organization-wide training, consider including the following topics:

• A review of your discrimination and harassment policies
• The details on how the organization will support an employee in the event of an incident
• Encouraging the use of a Certificate Program to motivate employees and keep an eye on their progress

Training for People Managers

Though the entire organization should undergo diversity and bias training, implementing specific training for people managers is equally as - if not more - important due to the authority, power, and influence these groups have

Specific training for people managers in the organization helps them understand their responsibility to mitigate their own bias. It helps foster a professional, respectful workforce and reminds them of their role in ensuring their direct reports understand and comply with the discrimination and harassment policies. 

Another important group to consider for additional bias training are those responsible for hiring. Implicit bias can result in the hiring of inferior candidates and overlooking candidates who are more qualified. We have strategies for minimizing bias when hiring employees here. 

At TPD, one of our core values is equity. With a renewed commitment to diversity and inclusion, our leadership team has taken a step back to assess where we’re starting from and what we can do to improve our workplace for all. When we listen, we learn of the gaps in our own systems. We’re challenging ourselves to incorporate meaningful changes to further shape our culture as one where our employees can show up as their true self.

How are you creating a more inclusive workplace? Let us know!