Dive Brief:
- A majority of Latinx employees surveyed by Kanarys said they felt they were unfairly burdened with teaching or explaining DEI issues to colleagues, according to an Oct. 4 report.
- While many Latinx professionals surveyed (65%) said they appreciated their companies' DEI training and education efforts, 1 in 2 workers surveyed said they witnessed or experienced discrimination in those workplaces.
- Additionally, Latinx pros were less likely to report a positive DEI experience at their companies in comparison to non-Latinx professionals. Latinx women, in particular, reported the least favorable experience, as they were 50% less likely to say they felt positively about their workplace DEI experience compared to non-Latinx professionals.
Dive Insight:
Interest in DEI training spiked last year following the racial reckoning sparked by George Floyd's murder in May 2020. Some programs saw growth rates over the 1000% mark — but as the Kanarys survey shows, simple implementation of training alone may not cut it.
Part of the issue may be that solid DEI training and follow-through may feel a bit like "a marathon," experts previously told HR Dive, as it can't simply be a "one and done" deal. DEI training that will bring success tends to be detailed and ongoing, they said. But even as learning offerings move online, employers report continued trouble getting workers to actually complete that training, according to ThinkHR.
More employers say they plan to offer DEI training in 2021 than the year prior, however; ThinkHR reported a jump from 35% to 50% of employers surveyed saying they planned to offer such programming in 2021.
Employers that previously saw success in implementation used a variety of techniques, including mentorship and sponsorship programs that purposefully link up leaders with employees that don't look like them as well as personalization to ensure workers of all ages and abilities can access the content.
