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Introduction

Each year organizations pour billions into formal training programs. According to the American Society for Training & Development, in 2012, companies spent an estimated $164.2 billion on employee training and development. It is estimated that $200-$300 million is spent on diversity training per year (Werner and DeSimone, 2009). The problem is that much of what organizations currently hold and practice about diversity training is flawed (Pendry et al., 2007). If organizations continue to spend hundreds of millions on diversity training, without using and applying evidence-based practices offered by psychological, human resources (HR) and management research, then they are not only wasting their money but also damaging their own organizational performance (Burke et al., 2004).

Diversity training – what is lacking

Hite and McDonald (2006) conducted a study examining the development and implementation of diversity training in small- and mid-sized organizations in the USA. Here is what they found:

  • organizations did not offer training beyond awareness level;

  • organizations failed to conduct an initial needs assessment;

  • organizations provided few, if any, detailed evaluation of diversity training; and

  • leadership support for diversity initiatives within these organizations varied.

What is more troubling is that diversity training sessions are “often deemed successful even when assessment is missing entirely” (Pendry et al., 2007, p. 29).

Ninety-three per cent of companies with diversity initiatives include training. But a generic, one-size-fits-all training will not do. Diversity training must be tailored to the...

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