January/February 2010
There is no question that demographics and globalization are driving the need for diversity training in the workplace. Today’s workers need to understand and appreciate the diversity of their coworkers and the diversity of their customers. To do that requires good training from a knowledgeable instructor who begins with exploring what workers have in common.
According to Susan Heathfield, an HR consultant writing for About.com, employers need to start diversity training by recognizing the ways in which coworkers are similar. She writes that, “you’ll build a base of understanding and acceptance that will withstand the sometimes stormy times when your differences come to the forefront.”
This view is supported in a study by Watson Wyatt Worldwide. In their WorkUSA research, Watson Wyatt asked 7500 workers at all job levels and representing a diverse number of industries, to respond to 130 statements about their workplace. They found that these workers have more similarities than differences. For example, people agreed about what inspires their commitment to an employer and cited the following factors as important:
• They supported their company’s business plan
• They had a chance to use their skills on the job
• Their reward package was competitive
• The company acted on employee suggestions
Respondents also agreed that employers needed to promote the best performers and help the worst ones get better.
“Helping people understand that they share a common goal not only in the workplace, but also in much of their personal lives, can help people lose their fears about each other and begin the process of understanding and appreciation,” says Amy Murphy, director of Corporate and Community Services for Joliet Junior College.
“Additionally, diversity training can often mean the difference between profit and loss for a company. It is more than a “group hug” moment. It is a real asset to an employer’s ability to compete and achieve their goals.”
Writing for the University of Florida’s IFAS Extension University website, Kelli A. Green, Mayra Lopez, Allen Wysocki, and Kari Kepner wrote about the benefits of diversity training in the workplace in their article entitled Diversity in the Workplace: Benefits, Challenges, and the Required Tools.
“Diversity is beneficial to both associates and employers,” write the authors. “Although associates are interdependent in the workplace respecting individual differences can increase productivity. Diversity in the workplace can reduce lawsuits and increase marketing opportunities, recruitment, creativity, and business image.”
These authors also recognize that diversity training is more than simply acknowledging differences in people. They write, “It involves recognizing the value of differences, combating discrimination, and promoting inclusiveness.”
“Workplace diversity must teach both the respect of individual differences as well as what people have in common if it is to be effective,” says Murphy. “Our class on Valuing Workplace Diversity attempts to do just that. When the course is completed, most participants feel they truly understand each other and their customers, better. Many participants are surprised at how much they learn.”
One Morris Hospital participant agrees saying the JJC course “was better than what I expected.” Another participant at the offices of the County of Will said the course was “very informative about how to handle diversity situations.”
For some, diversity training offers a better way to treat people with disabilities. For example, when Deb Dagit was in school, she developed a bone condition that resulted in fractures and bone deformities. The time she spent in the hospital exposed her to children from all over the world. “I learned what we had in common was more significant than what was different, regardless of our cultural differences,” says Dagit who today, is executive director of Diversity for the Merck Corporation.
Because of her bone condition, Dagit was treated as a student with disabilities in school which separated her from the rest of the student population. “Issues of fairness, respect and inclusion became very important to me as I observed who was singled out and how this caused them to be treated by other members of the class,” says Dagit.
“Diversity is becoming a meaningful way for companies to deal effectively in today’s global economy,” says Murphy. “It is important training for better communication, minimal risk of lawsuits, and improved relationships with foreign markets. That is why organizations of all sizes are looking at diversity training as an important investment in the future.”
For more information about diversity training, call Amy Murphy at (815) 280-1418, or e-mail amurphy@jjc.edu.
With unemployment at 10 percent, spending money on training may seem a luxury for some employers. After all, it is hard enough to keep people employed, let alone train them. Nevertheless, there is a case to be made for training – even in this economy.
First, it is important to look at training as an investment rather than an expense. An investment earns money.
According to a study of more than 3,100 U.S. companies by the National Center on the Educational Quality of the Workplace (EQW), a 10 percent increase in workforce education led, on average, to an 8.6 percent gain in total productivity. Interestingly, a 10 percent increase in the value of equipment increased productivity by only 3.4 percent.
In another study by the American Society for Trainers and Development (ASTD), “leading-edge” companies trained 86 percent of their employees while “average” companies trained only 74 percent. The study showed that companies that invested the most in employee education yielded higher net sales per employee, higher gross profits per employee, and a higher ratio in market-to-book values.
One good example of a company experiencing a solid ROI on training is Alcatel/Lucent in Naperville, where Joliet Junior College (JJC) recently delivered a training program in Troubleshooting Refrigeration Units. It was a customized 16-hour, hands-on course. The class was designed to help educate their employees on how to troubleshoot a refrigeration unit and determine the necessary steps to fix/repair the unit to avoid downtime and the expense of a costly consultant’s repair bill. Immediately, the training paid for itself when the class troubleshooted a unit and was able to repair it with a $300 fix to a $2,000 control board generating a savings of $1,700. Because there were 25 more units that needed this repair, it saved Alcatel-Lucent $42,500. This is money that will go directly to the company’s bottom line keeping people employed and the business competitive.
“Employers who have already reduced staff know that their remaining workers need more skills to continue operating smoothly,” said Amy Murphy, director of JJC’s Corporate and Community Services. “The best way to prepare these workers for this increased responsibility is to bring in a competent training professional who can quickly assess needs and develop a learning program to meet them.”
“Additionally, many employers should consider training their employees in such soft skills as how to avoid sexual harassment in the workplace, ways to relieve stress, and ways to communicate more effectively,” said Murphy. “There is also a real need for OSHA training which can help workers do their jobs safely, reduce accidents, and minimize a company’s exposure to lawsuits.”
To learn how training can help your business survive the next 12 months, call Amy Murphy at
(815) 280-1418, or e-mail amurphy@jjc.edu.
Training is Key to Long-Term Growth
While the recession keeps unemployment at 10 percent, the trucking industry continues to need long-haul drivers.
“It isn’t that the industry has not experienced a downturn,” said Kathy Dolosic, contract training specialist, for Joliet Junior College, “it has, but the need for well-trained drivers continues. Truck employers need new drivers trained in safe and solid driving procedures to replace those retiring and leaving the industry.”
For that reason, Joliet Junior College is working with industry employers to keep the training relevant and graduate safe drivers with state-of-the-art skills. “We want trucking employers to know that they can trust the graduates of our program to be safe, skillful handlers of tractor-trailers,” said Dolosic. “Our program is designed to meet the needs of industry.”
Joliet Junior College in cooperation with Premier CDL Training Services, LLC has developed a training program at its Weitendorf Agricultural Education Facility at 17840 Laraway Road in Joliet. The program can be completed in 4 weeks by attending full time, Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. An additional 30 hours of home study is also required.
“Additionally, our recruiters work with many trucking companies that will pre-hire students. We believe that many of them receive several job offers prior to completing their training,” said Dolosic.
For more information about this program, contact Kathy Dolosic at (815) 280-1429, or e-mail
CDLinfo@jjc.edu.