red_mct/Marie, & any other HR experts

[LauraMax]

OK so I've now been charged with 1) updating our employee handbook, which hasn't been done in about 25 years (actually I've been doing it in drips & drabs since I started here, and 2) creating some kind of "diversity sensitivity" training program.

#1 I have down to a science & it's time consuming & tedious but don't need any help there.

#2 I definitely need some help. There are so many variables here--first of all, we want the training to include religion, ethnicity, gender, trans-gender, etc. etc. Being a pretty progressive & diverse community I have to try to capture every protected group out there.

Then there's the scheduling aspect. How many hours? Done all at once or broken into sessions? Once a year, once every other year, or more frequently? How do we handle the PD, the FD, management, council, & the rank & file? Should this be done in person, or can we have one session, record it, & show it to everyone else? How can we do this without paying overtime, which would literally cost a fortune?

Any advice would be much appreciated. I think I need to start with the kind of training--are you aware of any nationally accepted programs out there I can use as a starting point? TIA..........

 

[red_mct]

Hmm, that's a tough one. We have a large diversity unit and an extensive diversity training program. Most of our programs are created internally and in conjunction with our legal department, though.

Some questions to ask yourself:

* Back up and determine exactly what it is that you need or want to achieve with your program(s). What do you want people to know or be able to do differently after they've gone through the training?

* What specific behaviors or skills or attitudes will add up so your learners can achieve that overall goal?

* How will they demonstrate to you that they've achieved this?

* How will you track that the training has been completed?

You also need to determine exactly who is impacted and what each group needs to know. Also, what currently exists? Are any of those groups already getting this training somewhere?

There's a lot of ways you can approach it in terms of the delivery but I do think you probably want to consult with your legal counsel first. We do a lot of our diversity training via elearning and video (depending on the topic).

I do think there's also a lot available from vendors and that might be the most cost-effective method for you. Here's a good starting point:

http://www.businesstrainingmedia.com/store/diversity.html

I'd also do a search on national gay and lesbian organizations as they tend to have a lot of info on diversity training programs.

Sorry I am not of more help!
Marie