Beyond Compliance: Creating a Culture of Inclusion through Engaging Sexual Harassment Training
The problem of sexual harassment in workplaces presents a widespread concern that cannot be resolved simply by complying with regulatory obligations. According to a 2022 Gallup Poll, more than 20% of employees, world wide, have experienced one or more forms of workplace violence or harassment. One possible solution is to conduct effective sexual harassment prevention training, which, if carefully designed and dynamically delivered, can foster an inclusive atmosphere within your organization. This article will examine the significance of such training and its potential to transcend compliance regulations and promote inclusivity and psychological safety/well being. Additionally, we will delve into how you can tailor content according to your industry's and organization’s needs, utilize interactive teaching techniques, selectively employ and blend-in technology, assess and continuously develop your training programs, and select a qualified and experienced vendor.
Why Engaging Sexual Harassment Training Matters
Engaging and interactive sexual harassment training is crucial to creating an inclusive and respectful work culture. It helps employees understand the importance of treating each other positively and with dignity, regardless of gender, race, or any other protected characteristic. Employers should deploy interactive sexual harassment training that both complies with applicable legal requirements but also creates a safer, supportive and more productive work environment. Employees who undergo effective sexual harassment training are more likely to recognize inappropriate behavior and feel empowered to speak up against it. This leads to greater employee satisfaction, higher productivity, and ultimately, better business outcomes.
Fostering an Inclusive and Safe Learning Environment
Creating a culture of respect and inclusivity is crucial to maintaining a safe working environment. To achieve this goal sexual harassment training should be mandatory for all employees, irrespective of their position. Sexual harassment training should be targeted for each level - integrating critical additional responsibilities for those of authority. As noted, rather than just focusing on compliance, the training should emphasize the importance of creating an inclusive and respectful work environment where everyone feels valued.
Regularly scheduled training sessions can help reinforce the importance of maintaining an appropriate, inclusive and safe work environment. By investing in training, and ensuring that it impacts, organizations are taking proactive steps to foster a culture of genuine respect and inclusion, an environment where speaking up is encouraged and a culture where retaliation is not tolerated.
Understanding Your Audience
How you make sexual harassment training more engaging and interactive begins with understanding your audience. It is important to consider the diversity of employees and their specific roles when creating training materials. Inclusive language and imagery should be used throughout the training. Additionally, your training should complement your organization's DEI goals to set the right tone for the training A and as doing ensures that participants feel welcome and valued.
Employees all have different ways of learning, so it is also essential to understand the varied learning styles and preferences of individuals within the audience. By targeting the training program and its delivery, you can optimize information retention and create an engaging experience for everyone.
Tailoring Content to Your Industry
Tailoring sexual harassment training content to your industry and environment invariably creates a much more effective program. It is important to understand your teams’ unique challenges and to create training materials that are relevant and relatable to them. Providing real-life examples (but not from your own organization) and scenarios that illustrate common situations your employees may encounter helps employees better understand what constitutes inappropriate conduct or sexual harassment, how to recognize it, and how to report it.
Make Use of Interactive Training Methods
Interactive training methods, such as role-playing, group discussions, policy review, case studies and realistic scenario-based exercises can greatly improve the impact and effectiveness of sexual harassment training. Encouraging open discussions during these sessions can help to cultivate a culture of accountability and inclusivity where employees can share their own perspectives on sensitive topic without fear of being shamed or judged. Ongoing (but not repetitive) training and reinforcement are crucial in ensuring that employees retain information and continue to prioritize creating a safe, inclusive workplace environment. Sexual harassment training should be a sustained effort rather than just ticking of a compliance box. By consistently employing effective interactive training methods, you can make positive strides towards creating a culture of inclusion, respect, and equality in all your work settings.
Incorporating Storytelling and Real-Life Examples
Using scenarios that reflect the realities of your workplace can be especially helpful, as it allows employees to see how the training applies directly to their day-to-day interactions. Role-play exercises and group discussions can also provide a safe space for employees to share their perspectives and ask questions, while case studies showcase real-life examples (but not from your own organization) of inappropriate conduct, and possible harassment and provide opportunities for learning. Participants should also receive feedback on their responses to ensure that they are responding appropriately. By incorporating these interactive training methods into sexual harassment training exercises, companies can create impactful sessions that truly resonate with employees and foster a culture of inclusion beyond compliance requirements.
As noted, open dialogue and the opportunity for questions and exchange during training sessions foster a learning experience that models inclusivity and respect, promoting a sense of comfort for all individuals to discuss pertinent issues. This approach also enables the use of constructive peer influence and perspective-taking, allowing employees to practice identifying and responding appropriately to instances of potential policy violations, discrimination and/or harassment. Utilizing interactive training techniques enhances an employee’s ability to retain and implement what they learn, ultimately contributing to the establishment of a more robust culture of inclusion within the organization.
Leverage Technology to Enhance Engagements
Thanks to technology, messages initially introduced via (preferably in-person) real-time interactive sexual harassment training sessions can be reinforced more frequently, thereby reminding employees to frequently consider the impact of their behavior. The traditional dull slideshow model of online harassment training is being replaced by new approaches that offer a contemporary and interactive learning experience. These tools allow employees to gain a deeper understanding of appropriate and inappropriate behavior, as well as the consequences of misconduct, and their responsibility in creating an inclusive workplace culture. With the help of a Learning Management System (LMS), organizations can deploy and monitor training swiftly. Employers with workers in specific locations such as California, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Illinois, City of Chicago, New York and New York City must adhere to certain local legal criteria. Organizations may choose to make use of eLearning so that their entire workforce can access the training despite their location or schedule - until such time as they can attend an interactive in person session. One way to make eLearning more effective is by including a message from leadership or the CEO. Such message can help emphasize the importance of the training while also reinforcing company values and introducing policies that should be the primary focus of the training.
With any eLearning, you want to mirror and reinforce aspects of the in-person environment as much as possible and keep it engaging. Your eLearning training should include quizzes, simulations, and role-playing scenarios to make it more engaging and interactive and to give employees the ability to practice recognizing and responding to potential policy violations.
One big risk of eLearning is that most courses are off-the shelf and not tailored to your specific organization. This has the potential to reduce employee buy-in and may not be as effective as an interactive instructor led training course.
Evaluate and Continuously Improve the Training
Evaluating and enhancing your training program is essential to ensure it remains effective and relevant. Regular evaluations can help identify areas that need improvement, as well as provide opportunities to update the program with emerging trends and focus areas as identified by your human resources (HR) or people/talent teams. It is imperative to stay up-to-date with changes in laws and regulations and update training programs accordingly. By doing so, you can ensure that your employees receive the necessary knowledge and skills required for their job roles, ultimately improving their performance and contributing to the success of your organization. Additionally, regular feedback from trainees can help identify any gaps in the training program, providing valuable insights into areas that may require further attention. Continuous improvement of your training program can help boost employee engagement, reduce turnover rates, and increase overall productivity.
Choose a Professional and Experienced Training Provider
When it comes to selecting a training provider for your organization, it's crucial to choose one that is professional and experienced in creating effective programs. A good provider should offer customized content tailored to your company's specific needs, including delivery methods such as in-person and reinforcing online options for sessions. It's also essential to look for a provider that goes beyond mere compliance with laws and regulations and emphasizes creating a culture of inclusion and respect in the workplace. A third-party vendor should have a record of its programs having been vetted and approved by a credible agency (such as the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)) in the context of significant litigation consent decrees or conciliation agreements. Moreover, these approvals, by agency-designated monitors, should include actual assessments of the training’s impact, such as whether the program was successful, sufficiently creative and whether it produced quantifiable decreases in negative conduct. By choosing the right partner, you can help ensure that your organization is equipped with the skills and knowledge necessary to prevent sexual harassment and promote a safe and inclusive work environment.
How to Transform Your Sexual Harassment Training With Seyfarth at Work
Seyfarth at Work provides training courses that not only ensure compliance but also focus on creating an inclusive workplace culture. They offer interactive courses that are tailored to meet your business's specific needs. Seyfarth at Work's team consists of experienced attorney-trainers who are well-versed in the field of workplace law, providing guidance and support throughout the entire training process. The presenters all prioritize created a comfortable, credible and highly engaging experience.
By implementing Seyfarth at Work’s customized programs, businesses can ensure they better comply with legal requirements while simultaneously creating a safer and more inclusive working environment for all employees. With Seyfarth at Work, companies can take the necessary steps towards building a culture of inclusion and one that values respect, dignity, and equality in the workplace.
Conclusion
In summary, engaging, effective sexual harassment training is not just about ticking a compliance box. It's about creating a culture of inclusion where everyone feels safe and valued in their workplace. By understanding your audience, tailoring content to your industry, using interactive methods, leveraging technology, fostering an inclusive learning environment, and continuously evaluating and improving your programs, you can achieve this goal. Seyfarth at Work offers professional, proven and impactful training that helps you create a work environment where everyone can thrive.
