Diversity Training: The secret weapon in employee retention?

When I first heard about Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) training, I definitely saw its value, but at the same time, it seemed obvious that a company like ours didn’t need it.  I assumed the majority of our employees grew up in similar places within Canada, we have similar backgrounds, similar life situations... On top of that, half of our team has friendships or connections with one another that span over decades.  

What good could diversity training possibly do us?

Turns out it can do a lot! Recently, for our Annual General Meeting and Annual Town Hall, we had the opportunity to work with James Frail, a talented coach and off-site facilitator from Stevenson Frail. When I saw the agenda, I noticed we would have some DEI training.  

I really wasn’t totally sure what to expect but I assumed it would be confrontational and challenging.  I also thought it would be very theoretical.  Embarrassingly, I even went as far as to imagine we’d go through a list of traditionally marginalized groups, learn more inclusive language and then be educated on the history of persecution and struggles of each group. 

Instead, our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion training was incredibly simple and it ended up being the absolute highlight of the day. 

So what did our DEI training look like? A simple conversation.  We went around the room - with guidance from our facilitator, James - and each talked about: where they came from, how they were different, why that’s good.  Brilliant in its simplicity, it was educational and profound in that way that only authentic, personal stories shared with vulnerability can be. It brought our whole team closer together, and, will make us a better company going forward. 

Research is backing that up too.  Companies that do DEI training are finding they’re more likely to hit their financial goals and can innovate faster. It creates more opportunity, more resilience, and inspires more ideas - all contributing to a culture of excellence. Teams with DEI training are more engaged, more innovative, more aligned and have better relationships with one another. These qualities increase empathy and reduce remote worker burnout as well, meaning employees are more likely to stay - try to tell me these things aren’t a competitive advantage!

It allowed us to see the unique human behind the coworker and the valuable contribution that only that person can make. It also helped me better identify my own differences and how valuable they are. It gave us space to find confidence in those differences.  Now I felt more comfortable turning up the volume, sharing more of myself and investing more of myself into the company.  In sharing our differences, I found more similarities between the incredible people I work with. 

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion training will benefit any group, and will make you a stronger and more capable team.  So before you miss an opportunity like this in your own organization, let our experience be a lesson to you! It’s worth it!

If you have any questions, feedback or want to chat more (or share your own experience!), I’d love to chat or grab a coffee.  If you’d like to learn more about the capabilities of Stevenson Frail (or any of our incredible vendors), I am a resource you can contact for support. 

All the best, 

Jillian Toellner

Vice-President, Mountain View HR