Hiring and Implicit Bias Training Is NOT Enough.

People sitting in colorful chairs and holding hands with their eyes closed.

Businesses that want to remain competitive in the current climate of endless information and change have to be more innovative and productive than ever before. To do this, they must recruit an increasingly diverse workforce and retain it by taking a more proactive stance on inclusion.

Unfortunately, as an increasing amount of businesses realize the ethical and financial importance of leveraging the benefits of a multi-skilled and multi-backgrounded workforce, many have fallen into unhelpful diversity and inclusion fads.

These trends include diversity hiring and implicit bias training (formally known as unconscious bias training), all of which act as less-than-perfect bandaids for the structural bias and discrimination found in organizations.

The Problem with Diversity Hiring

Although crucial to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts, hiring more diverse employees is not sustainable when inclusion is absent. Without a focus on inclusionary practices, organizations often face a diversity backlash. The backlash then translates to the loss of high-performing employees and diversity numbers never increasing beyond their original counts. Research shows that full inclusion is key to a diverse and sustainable workforce.

What is Inclusion?

Inclusion is a process that begins with an understanding of the uniqueness of each individual. When a company creates the time and space to explore and embrace differences, they create a new culture founded on mutual respect. In short, an inclusive environment creates an atmosphere of openness and trust.

Inclusion leads to a better workplace experience, which leads to better performance. In turn, the full economic impact of an organization's output is maximized when you optimize for inclusion.

To optimizing for inclusion, companies need to create a culture, environment, and atmosphere where all employees are welcomed and allowed to contribute to their fullest potential.

The Problem with Implicit Bias Training

When attempting to create a more inclusive environment to reduce turnover, many companies flock to implement implicit bias training. This training promises to teach managers and employees how their biased behaviors may negatively affect their coworkers.

Despite what some may believe, implicit bias training is not an effective tool to combat the prevalence of bias and unlikely to end racism, sexism, homophobia, or any other type of discrimination in the workplace.

Studies show that these types of training have little to no effect on long-term workplace behavior. This is because learning about bias does not automatically lead to changes in behavior.

Furthermore, similar studies have found that even if changes in behavior are possible, those changes may only affect superficial workplace discrimination.

For example, a heterosexual manager may learn that making gay jokes can be offensive to her employees and quickly stops doing so. However, she may still engage in bias behavior and bypass her overly qualified Queer employee when it is time to award a promotion.

At best, implicit bias training shows that businesses are making an effort to become more inclusive. At worst, it leads companies to believe that they are "doing the work" when the reality is that no significant changes have taken place.

The Take-Away

In business, there is no room for complacency. Organizations must continue to recruit a diverse talent pool and promote equity and inclusion within the workplace if they want to keep up in today's evermore competitive world.

So instead of merely hiring more diverse employees and attempting inclusion through implicit bias training, organizations should practice deep-level inclusion and ensure that inclusive practices are part of everything they do.

One great way of realizing this work is by partnering with an organizational consultant with a background in DEI. These professionals will provide you with the insight and guidance you need to effectively create and sustain a more diverse workforce and inclusive culture.

Partner with Aldridge Consulting Today!

Our services provide diversity and inclusion training services for businesses; the main goal is to help companies foster belonging for their diverse employees.

More specifically, we provide consulting services that help with culture change, employee engagement, structural change, leadership development, and more.

The idea is that it not only benefits a business when a diverse group of employees feels welcomed in the workplace, but it also leads to greater success for all.

Learn how to create effective and sustainable change by reading our Ultimate Guide to Queer and Trans Inclusion in the Workplace.