The Importance of Transforming L&D as Our Workforce Changes

When you research DEI and L&D, you will likely find a ton of content about building out a training program on DE&I, however not a lot of focus on how to build inclusive training programs or how to best support a diverse team. This DEI training is important and foundational, and we are doing it as an important part of our work. But now we’re looking deeper. We want to see our company’s diversity grow, we want to encourage more females in sales, and we want to see people grow from within. The question is how do we do this?  We know there’s a talent shortage out there and we know we want to grow, how do we do this? We need to get to a state where everyone is equipped for success, seen, heard and supported. And this happens differently for different people.

We can’t, however, create a unique program for every individual. So we have to get creative and effective with other approaches. We’re in the infancy of this currently and have a few things going.  But we are aware as the first step and are working towards a more effective, inclusive approach. As an example, we know from research that women are less likely to self-promote. So we need to tackle that, it’s not necessarily about changing it but it’s about identifying and addressing it. It’s not about changing anyone; it’s about giving opportunity to everyone. While recruiting, we more actively ‘knock’ on females’ doors however men apply more. Then as we do see more people progress in their careers and take different paths, we need to make sure we’re providing support that is for them.

We want to see our company’s diversity grow, we want to encourage more females in sales, and we want to see people grow from within

Another example is how organizations rely on profiles – profiles of our best people, profiles of best in class, what is the profile of a great sales person … but it’s important to look back at what and who those profiles represent.  If we built training programs based on this intel, what else can we do or how can we tailor them?   What else can we offer?  A profile is great, but what’s the underlying reason that people outside of this profile are less successful in sales, or is that true? It we put different supports and learning in place, can that build different yet effective talent?

I don’t have answers to these questions. We’re looking at how we can be better at what we do and see more people succeed. A diverse workforce brings such strong qualities but we need to design L&D strategy to build diverse talent and continue to engage and retain a diverse workforce. And the cookie cutter approach isn’t going to do that anymore. It can’t be one-size-fits all. We need to build talent, share knowledge, provide equal opportunity to training and development, to mentoring, and to tackle barriers. Some basic things we include now are making sure females are included in every sales training panel, making sure our longer, in-person programs, have a virtual option to ensure primary caregivers have the ability to get the training they deserve, designing networking throughout the day so primary caregivers don’t miss out on networking opportunities. This isn’t going to be perfect, but small steps in the right direction are still steps.