(BONUS) From Ripple Effect: Does Diversity Training Work? with Katy Milkman | Summary and Q&A

TL;DR

Unconscious biases against women in the workplace persist even among individuals who support women's advancement, highlighting the need for systemic change to achieve diversity and equity.

Key Insights

• 🍂 Diversity training often falls short of expectations and should be complemented with systemic changes.
• 🥺 Hiring in sets encourages the consideration of diversity as a collective group, leading to more diverse hiring practices.
• 🖐️ Social norms play a significant role in driving organizations to prioritize diversity and avoid negative scrutiny.
• 💪 Women benefit from strong mentorship networks to navigate gender bias in the workplace.
• 🔨 Scrutiny and pressure are powerful tools to drive organizations towards greater diversity.
• 👨‍🔬 Science and research can contribute to accelerating progress in achieving gender equality.
• 💱 It is necessary to shift the focus from fixing individuals to fixing systems to achieve meaningful and lasting change.

Transcript

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Questions & Answers

Q: Why is diversity training in organizations often ineffective in addressing gender bias?

Diversity training typically focuses on individual attitudes, but research suggests that changing systems and structures is more effective in achieving lasting change. Additionally, diversity training may inadvertently promote self-advocacy rather than creating a supportive environment.

Q: How can hiring in sets promote diversity in organizations?

Hiring in sets forces decision-makers to consider diversity as a group rather than focusing solely on individual attributes. This leads to a greater acknowledgement of the importance of diversity and can result in more diverse hiring pools.

Q: How do social norms impact the representation of women in organizations?

Positive social norms, such as highlighting the lack of diversity in certain groups, can create pressure and scrutiny on organizations, motivating them to prioritize diversity. Organizations that deviate from these social norms may face negative repercussions.

Q: What can women do to navigate gender bias in the workplace?

Building strong mentorship networks and actively seeking connections can help women overcome the challenges of weak networks. By creating a support system, women can access valuable advice and opportunities.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Diversity training in organizations has limited effectiveness, primarily impacting attitudes rather than behavior change.

• Hiring in sets rather than individual selections can lead to more diverse hiring pools.

• Social norms play a significant role in addressing underrepresentation of women, with scrutiny and positive social norms encouraging organizations to make diversity a priority.

• Women can benefit from strong mentorship networks and actively seeking out connections.