Socially Responsible Talent Management: Training

Talent Management is a wonderful tool that allows us to harness our biggest resource, human capital. In one way or another, we have been using talent management practices for hundreds of years and over time we have developed strategies to improve every facet of it.

However, more needs to be done to ensure that these practices are socially responsible and contribute not only to a company’s wellbeing but also to the wellbeing of its employees and society at large.

In this series, we will take a look at the talent management practices of recruitment, employee assessments and selection, training, and finally performance management. We will also explore how we can use socially responsible practices to improve them.

Training is the process of developing the skills and knowledge of employees. This can include technical skills, personal development, safety, and ethics training. However, just as the other talent management practices, training can also benefit from more social responsibility.

Some training problems that can be solved by more socially responsible practices include having a limited scope of knowledge and learning opportunities represented in training and having hostile work environments that prevent some people from learning as much as others.

Diversity management and fostering value-centric ethical programs can help training become more socially responsible. Diversity management is a practice that can be designed to increase the inclusion of diverse individuals in the workplace both in informal social networks and formal company programs. Through diversity management practices employers can recruit diverse voices to help create and lead training. By including input from a diverse group of people who represent the workforce, clients, and other stakeholders, companies will allow for greater information flow on what needs to be learned; which can then further help the company gain a competitive advantage, as well as better, serve its employees and its community.

Another socially responsible training practice would be training managers to be able to facilitate situations that can help bring people of different backgrounds together. By giving managers the ability to facilitate these conversations companies can help to foster a safe climate for all learners when training is implemented. This gives people the confidence to try new things, take risks, and step out of their comfort zones without fear of repercussion.

Finally, companies should ensure that training focuses on the culture and values of the organization. Training should increase self-awareness, foster an appreciation of diversity, and help recognize ethical issues. Aligning training to company values will help the company foster and maintain a safe and positive environment for all to thrive in.

Through these strategies, companies can create more inclusive and impactful trainings.