Completing a Needs Assessment for Diversity Training

Completing a Needs Assessment for Diversity Training

In the 1980s, diversity training mainly consisted of training people to be aware of differences in gender and race in the workplace, and by the 1990s, diversity training was at the forefront of innovative training for business managers, addressing such issues as "age, sexual orientation, ethnic background, and religion" (Koonce, 2001, para 45).

According to Dr. Elaine K. Miller of the College of Business at Colorado State University, there is a driving force behind the push to embrace diversity in a business organization:

The changing US demographics, increasing globalization of business and pursuit of effective competition make it imperative for companies to implement programs for diversity training. The ability of organizations to manage a diverse workforce will be a major determinant of their continued survival and success in becoming world class corporations (Miller, 1994, para 1).

When talking about "world class corporations," one of the most recognizable names in the world is McDonald's Corporation, which boasts approximately 438,000 employees worldwide (Yahoo! Finance, 2005). "As of March 08, 2005, the company operated approximately 30,000 restaurants in approximately 119 countries" (Yahoo! Finance, 2005). Because of their global presence, there is a demonstrated need for understanding and appreciating diversity in the workforce of McDonald's restaurants, both in the United States and in overseas locations.

Need for Education vs. Need for Training

When completing a Needs Assessment, the person who has been given responsibility for training must determine what the particular needs are for that organization. Most McDonald's restaurants operate on a franchise basis, where a local owner is responsible for the direct management and operation of his or her McDonald's Restaurant franchise. In this paper, we will examine a Needs Assessment for Diversity Training in a typical franchise of a McDonald's restaurant.

Incidentally, it has been predetermined that this McDonald's franchise will require a Diversity Training Program, as opposed to education about diversity. For our purposes, "education" is a teaching method which teaches an employee something new, such as a skill. In this context, "education" does not apply to diversity awareness in a McDonald's franchise.

Instead, we will select a form of "training," which is used when there is a need to reinforce a previously learned skill or task. In this case, we will be reinforcing proper treatment of people from different genders, backgrounds, age groups, abilities, and racial and ethic compositions.

Training Needs vs. Training Wants

Diversity awareness is an essential part of any business organization, and McDonald's restaurants could certainly serve as a case study for the future of diversity in the workplace. According to Koonce (2001), demographic experts have long predicted that the workforce would become more diverse as we move into the 21st century:

...companies are moving fast to compete for and accommodate the needs of an increasingly diverse workforce. Just as the "Workforce 2000 Report" predicted in 1987, only about 15 percent of new entrants into the American workforce are white males. The rest is a mix of Hispanics, African Americans, Vietnamese, Chinese, Russians, Europeans, and others. Despite the current tide of corporate layoffs, recruitment and retention of high-quality knowledge workers remain core challenges, according to PricewaterhouseCoopers. The need to attract and retain top talent has become especially acute as knowledge work has become a key business differentiator and as companies compete for a small pool of knowledge workers (Koonce, 2001, para 3).

Therefore, diversity training is not just a "want" - a luxury that can be scheduled when time affords itself to this task. Diversity training is a need that must be addressed when a needs assessment determines that it is warranted.

Indicators that Diversity Training May Be Needed

How does an organization determine that diversity training is needed? One indicator is the diversity of the workforce within that particular organization, which can be complicated when skilled managers are brought in from outside to manage an organization with employees that may have a different culture. "Corporate and independent diversity trainers say that the need for diversity programs is escalating. As companies expand their operations overseas and into new markets, there's a need to tap resident employee and leadership talent in those markets. Global sourcing of leaders is poised to become the next big leadership development trend..." (Koonce, 2001, para 15).

Another reason that diversity training may be needed in an organization is when there are obvious gaps in understanding between different people, caused by a variety of factors such as gender, age, race, ethnicity, or any other discriminating factor. For example, are there cliques that have formed in the franchise along gender, age, racial or ethnic lines? Or is there simply no diversity in the organization, and are you trying to attract more diverse employees? All of these situations are examples of organizations in which diversity training can be of great help to managers and employees alike.

Key Players in Diversity Training

There are many possible key players in diversity training. In the case of a McDonald's franchise, the franchise owner probably has the largest stake in success of that organization. Therefore, it would be important for the franchise owner to be deeply involved in the assessment and establishment of a diversity training program within his or her organization.

According to the article "How to Create Effective Diversity Training," obtaining and communicating the support of organizational leaders is the first key step to establishing a successful diversity program within an organization. "Obtain top-level leadership support. People and organizations focus on what their leaders focus on. For diversity initiatives to succeed, they require the enthusiastic support and involvement of a company's CEO and top leadership team, who must clearly enunciate the importance of diversity as a business value and goal" (Koonce, 2001, para 3).

Other people that would be integrally involved in diversity training would be key shift managers and supervisors, who will be able to better assess the training needs of the employees on their particular shift or task.

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