Why do You Need L&D to Build Inclusive Learning Organizations?
July 25, 2021
At Talentnet, we explored and shared ideas on how a learning organization could today, with little effort, make their learning more inclusive. We would like to take a deeper look into your current knowledge and what to develop for the future.
Define the L&D needs
First, start by looking at how you determine the organization’s potential learning needs.
Maybe you would like to ask yourself these questions:
- Does my learning audience participate in decision-making lessons?
- Who determines the importance of studying and why?
- Are all voices/needs/ideas considered?
- Do my team’s teachers understand what Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) stands for and how the larger organization applies?
- How do you stack up against other existing curriculums?
Do not assume the D&I training you built or bought previously is still applicable. To ensure that you apply to the new global DEI setting, a thorough evaluation of existing Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) training programs is needed. The checklist we have given will enable you to recognize places for changes easily and what to think about while building new learning.
Build diverse teams for diverse audiences
Learning was never a one-size-fits-all process, and teaching, as well as corporate training, should aim at addressing various learning preferences and ensuring that education reaches all learners allowing them the ability to gain the best from every learning program.
A successful learning and growth leader should guarantee diversity in his/her own staff to serve diverse audiences. It begins with hiring. Consider the composition of your existing staff first before you hire a new position in your L&D team. Then, be transparent about the effect of unconscious bias during the recruitment and interview process. Consider reducing the risk by:
- Write job descriptions that are neutral of gender.
- Remove from the resume’s names and demographics.
- Avoid idioms that people from other countries do not use.
It may not be possible to immediately address a lack of diversity on your team, but being aware of any imbalance is a good start. Awareness would ultimately contribute to greater understanding and turn the team into a diverse community that is inclusive.
Inclusive teams have different experiences, talents and concepts, and therefore the ability to develop creative learning methods such that homogeneous teams can’t create. Different L&D teams easily communicate with the individuals they support and deliver materials that represent their audience’s various perspectives and abilities.
Remember, the educational programs on diversity need to be frequently monitored and reviewed to see how effectively they work for your target audience. Make use of anonymous reviews and individual talks to refine the programs continually.
As you can see, inclusive learning organizations enhance employees’ competencies, ensuring alignment and readiness for the future skills that are required to remain competitive in a constantly changing environment. Talentnet, with state-of-the-art technologies, profound knowledge of learning organizations and progressive HR solutions, is ready to guide your business through the necessary transformation to become an inclusive learning organization.