There’s a growing skepticism about whether unconscious bias training is an effective tool to meet corporate diversity goals. Critics of such training contend that it doesn’t visibly move the needle on diversity numbers, and can even backfire. Some academic studies support this perspective: one longitudinal study found that traditional diversity trainings are the least effective efforts in increasing numbers of underrepresented minorities, while experimental research has shown that presenting evidence that people commonly rely on stereotypes — information often found in diversity trainings — isn’t helpful and can even condone the use of stereotypes. On the other hand, a meta-analysis found that diversity trainings can be effective, depending on many factors including content, length, audience, and accompanying diversity efforts.
Don’t Give Up on Unconscious Bias Training — Make It Better
There’s a growing skepticism about whether unconscious bias training is an effective tool to meet corporate diversity goals. Some studies have shown that traditional diversity trainings aren’t effective, and can even backfire. Others have shown that some trainings can be effective. Clearly, not all trainings are equally good — and none are a silver bullet. But three things can help. First, strike a careful balance between communicating that all humans have biases and emphasizing the importance of eliminating biases. You don’t want to imply that, because biases are common, we can’t do anything about them. Second, structure the content around workplace situations (like hiring or performance reviews) not psychological terms (like “confirmation bias”) or demographics (like “maternal bias”). Finally, make it action-oriented. Give people tactics and tips about what they can do differently to make sure their companies offer an even playing field.