7 Ways to Promote an Equitable Employee Development Program

People from historically marginalized groups are underrepresented in every level of company leadership, creating a sizable opportunity gap. For example, women hold nearly half (48%) of entry-level roles, but only 40% of manager roles and 28% of C-suite roles. Their representation drops at each job level. We see a similar trend for men of color, who hold 18% of entry level and manager roles, but only 15% of C-suite roles. White men, on the other hand, have increased representation at each job level: They hold 34% of entry-level roles, 42% of manager roles, and 56% of C-suite roles. 

As skills-based hiring grows in popularity, equitable employee development carries significant potential to help close the opportunity gap — as well as the corresponding wage gap. Building and maintaining an equitable L&D program gives each of your team members a fair chance to learn the skills they need to earn promotions and raises.

1. Offer several learning formats

Offering a diverse range of learning formats helps you accommodate different learning styles, preferences, and accessibility needs. 

For example:

• Online courses provide flexibility for employees to learn at their own pace and convenience, catering to varied schedules and geographical locations.
• Classroom-style training offers face-to-face interaction, group discussions, and hands-on activities for a collaborative learning environment.
• Podcasts are an ideal format for aural learners and enable on-the-go learning opportunities for busy professionals.
• Mentoring and career coaching provide individualized support for team members that learn best through one-on-one conversations and guidance.
• On-the-job training, such as stretch assignments and job shadowing, promotes experiential learning for kinesthetic learners.

McKinsey & Company, a global consulting firm, found that a multichannel approach to L&D increases the development program’s success. Companies that use eight or more learning formats cite a 70% success rate at helping employees adapt to their roles’ changing skill requirements or move into a new role. Companies that use fewer than four learning formats cite a 50% success rate. 

Providing a variety of options ensures that your team members can engage with learning materials in a way that best suits them — and helps them meet their career goals. 

2. Ensure diversity of content

Your employees come from diverse backgrounds, cultures, and experiences and may feel excluded if they don’t see themselves represented in your training content.

For example, consider a Black woman looking for a leadership course and seeing that all of the instructors are white men. Homogeneous content sends the signal that some demographic groups don’t belong in your L&D program.

Offer more inclusive content by paying attention to instructor diversity, including the instructors’:

• demographic data
• political points of view
• cultural beliefs
• languages spoken

Inclusive content fosters a sense of belonging and demonstrates that your organization values and respects different perspectives, experiences, and insights. This diversity of thought can increase learner engagement — especially within historically marginalized groups — and expose your team members to new ideas that allow your organization to innovate.

3. Incorporate assistive technology

Assistive technology helps ensure accessibility for people with disabilities and diverse learning needs. 

For example: 

• Closed captioning allows people with hearing disabilities, or those who prefer reading over listening, to read along with training videos.
• Screen readers allow blind or visually impaired team members to read the text displayed on their computer screen with a speech synthesizer or braille display.
• Screen magnification systems enlarge text and graphics on a computer screen.

Incorporating these technologies helps you build a learning and development program that all employees can access, regardless of their abilities or learning preferences.

4. Encourage employee development during work hours

Not all employees have the same level of flexibility to engage in learning outside of their regular work hours. Your team members may have personal obligations, social plans, or a moonlighting gig that limits their availability when they’re off the clock.

Prioritize offering development opportunities during the workday, allowing employees to participate without sacrificing their personal time or competing with their other responsibilities. This may involve scheduling training sessions during business hours, setting aside dedicated time for self-directed learning, or integrating development activities into your employees’ regular workflow.

Encouraging development during work hours empowers employees to invest in their professional growth while maintaining a healthy work-life balance.

5. Cover the up-front costs for professional development opportunities

Some organizations reimburse employees for development expenses, such as college tuition and conferences, which may present a substantial obstacle for your team members. People from some socioeconomic groups may not be able to cover the costs of L&D, even temporarily, barring them from participating in the same development opportunities as their colleagues.

Covering the up-front costs of development opportunities is more equitable and inclusive for your team members without the means to invest in their own growth. By removing the financial burden, you can ensure that all employees have equitable access to valuable learning resources, regardless of their financial circumstances.

6. Measure your L&D program’s success by demographic

Measure your L&D program’s success, drilling down by demographic factors such as race, ethnicity, gender, and age.

For example, consider how each demographic compares with the following metrics:

• Course completion rate
• Number of new skills learned per employee
• Employee satisfaction with L&D program
• Improved performance reviews
• Employee retention
• Internal mobility

Identifying disparities is an important step toward taking targeted action to address them. By understanding where inequities exist, you can implement tailored strategies to mitigate barriers to access and participation. This might include offering additional support to certain demographic groups or implementing unconscious bias training for managers.

7. Solicit employee feedback

Your workforce — and their needs — are constantly evolving. It’s imperative that you maintain a proactive approach to ensure your employee development program remains equitable and inclusive.

Actively seeking feedback from your team members helps you to identify areas for improvement and tailor your L&D initiatives to better meet your team’s needs.

You can solicit feedback through: 

• Surveys
• Focus groups
• One-on-one discussions
• Anonymous suggestion boxes

Use employee feedback to make changes to your L&D program design and implementation. Actively listening to employee suggestions demonstrates that you value and prioritize employee input to shape the future direction of your L&D initiatives. This collaborative approach strengthens employee morale and satisfaction, while ensuring that L&D programs are responsive to the specific needs and aspirations of your workforce.

Final thoughts: Equitable employee development is only one piece of an inclusive work environment

Ensuring all employees can access talent development opportunities is an important step in closing the opportunity gap, but it’s not the only one. For example, your team members must also be given fair performance reviews and opportunities for career advancement.

An equitable training program needs to be part of a holistic DEI strategy that’s able to lift up underrepresented groups so they have access to the same opportunities and career mobility as their peers.