Starbucks needs more than racial bias training: "You cant train bias out of people"

[Amaryllis]

snip

“Just doing training is not enough,” said Holly Hutchins, associate professor of human resource development at the University of Houston’s College of Technology. “Organizations tend to rush to the training option as a way to quickly window-dress issues, especially around gender or racial bias.”

Of all the options available for educating the workforce, Hutchins said diversity training “actually has the least impact”.

“People are feeling like they’re going to be strong-armed into changing their beliefs and perspectives about something, and it can often trigger even more stereotypes and backlash,” she said.

snip

Heather McGhee, president of Demos, an equal rights thinktank, will develop the Starbucks training plan with the former US attorney general Eric Holder and representatives of the NAACP Legal Defense and Education fund, the Equal Justice Initiative and the Anti-Defamation League.
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McGhee said she was not surprised by what happened to Nelson and Robinson.

“It called to mind some of my earliest memories as an African American of feeling unwelcome and being discriminated against in stores and restaurants and movie theaters,” McGhee said. “This is – more than most people who are not black know – a regular part of the considerations we have when moving through public and private spaces in America.”

McGhee said that while the closure of stores and the implementation of racial bias training was an eye-catching step, it would serve “really as an introduction”. It was important that Starbucks carried on the work, she said, including encouraging “interpersonal interactions” among employees of different races and backgrounds.


More:
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2018/apr/21/starbucks-racial-bias-training-black-men-arrested?utm_source=esp&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=GU+Today+USA+-+Collections+2017&utm_term=272313&subid=20993289&CMP=GT_US_collection

[Sherman A1]

1. Agreed, however

It is a place to start.

[Sedona]

2. How about companies just stop hiring bigots?

[Crunchy Frog]

5. Do people normally announce that they're bigots during job interviews?

[Kirk Lover]

7. So bigots shouldn't be allowed to work anywhere? nt

[NurseJackie]

3. If they want to keep their job, they'll need to pretend...

... at the very least.

[Kirk Lover]

8. Yes you better fucking pretend. Bigot gets fired here then hired there...you best learn

to pretend muthafucka.

[elocs]

4. I think you might have some success in training employees not to act on their bias

when they recognize it as bias.

It's kind of like swearing. Most of us learn and realize that we cannot just let the f-bomb fly whenever we please. We can think it but not say it. But some people are foul mouthed no matter where they are or who is around them. It's an imperfect world and we can only do what we can do and hope for the best because recognizing a problem and trying to do something is better than doing nothing at all.

[Kashkakat v.2.0]

6. Hmmm you know it kinda depends on type of training& on the skill of the trainer(s) - I took one that

was abysmally awful ... and then there was one that was nothing short of life changing - it was a 5 day series where you bonded pretty closely with other participants and went in pretty deep into processing personal experiences on an emotional/feeling level which for me made all the difference in the world. In fact although there were reading assignments and a lot of factual information presented, this particular model emphasized the emotional/feeling aspects because, as was stated, thats where people change. Ill never forget the discussion around the topic of "what was your experience when you were first made aware of the differences between people."

Its great if you grow up and live in a really diverse environment, but for a lot of us old folks (who grew up in and still live in a mostly white environment)we really do need to seek out experiences.... or they wont happen. And while I totally get that we white folk cant expect every person of color to be our personal teacher, I am SOO grateful for those who are willing to take on this role, whether through books, music and arts, or by being a facilitator at a training. Without someone saying "this is how it is for me/ for us," I would have no idea.

I dont know if this kind of thing can be done in one day at Starbucks but if its done right it could get people interested and excited about pursuing other opportunities.

On the other hand there could be value in something short and simple that basically outlines what behavior is expected and what will get you canned. Probably cant change any closed minds that aren't receptive to change, but its totally within the purview of an employer to demand certain behaviors from their employees.

[Kirk Lover]

9. Well at least they are doing something. Who knows maybe this training WILL have an impact

on somebody and make them think of things differently.