S2E21: Why Some DEI Training Isn't Working

Over the last 50 years in America, conscious prejudice has improved significantly but implicit bias has not.

DEI training fails when they 1) use implicit-bias education to shame trainees for holding stereotypes and 2) seek to solve the problem of bias by invoking the law to scare people about the risk of letting bias go unchecked.

"Making people feel ashamed can lead them to reject the message. Thus people often leave diversity training feeling angry and with greater animosity toward other groups (“There’s no way I’m biased!”). And threats of punishment, by the law in this case, typically lead to psychological “reactance” whereby people reject the desired behavior (“Nobody’s telling me what I can’t say!”). This kind of training can turn off even supporters of equal-opportunity programs."

Training programs should empower managers to counter biases.

"DEI training can’t squelch implicit bias; nothing short of changing people’s life experiences can do that. But when done right, implicit-bias education can alert students to the fact that people committed to equality nonetheless hold biases. And that knowledge can, in turn, motivate them to reshape their workplaces to counter discrimination by democratizing key parts of the career system."