In California, diversity and inclusion (D&I) are not just a trend—they are essential to fostering a healthy, collaborative, and productive workplace. But small businesses often struggle to implement effective D&I strategies due to limited resources or expertise. In this case study, we explore how a California-based small business leveraged third-party facilitated training to make meaningful improvements in their approach to diversity and inclusion.
GreenTech Innovations, a small environmental consulting firm located in Ontario, California, was facing challenges related to workplace diversity. While the team was mostly composed of well-qualified individuals, the company had a lack of racial and gender diversity, and the leadership team didn’t fully understand how to create an inclusive work environment.
Employee feedback revealed that many felt uncomfortable discussing diversity issues, while others were unaware of how their behavior might unintentionally exclude certain groups. GreenTech Innovations realized they needed to take concrete steps to build a more inclusive culture.
The company reached out to a third-party business consultant specializing in diversity and inclusion to facilitate training for both employees and managers. The training program was designed to be interactive and address real-world challenges the company faced, such as unconscious bias and microaggressions in the workplace.
Training for Managers: The training helped managers learn how to recognize and address bias, promote inclusive leadership practices, and implement strategies for diverse recruitment.
Employee Workshops: Employees participated in workshops that focused on improving cultural competency, communication, and collaboration across diverse teams.
Action Plan Development: The third-party consultant also worked with GreenTech’s leadership team to create an action plan with specific goals for improving diversity, such as implementing mentorship programs for underrepresented groups and adjusting recruitment practices.
Following the training, GreenTech Innovations saw a notable improvement in workplace culture:
Employee Engagement: Employees felt more comfortable sharing their experiences and were more engaged with diversity initiatives.
Increased Retention: Retention rates for employees from diverse backgrounds improved as they felt supported and valued.
Inclusive Practices: The company introduced new diversity recruitment practices, including outreach to universities with strong minority programs and partnerships with organizations focused on women in STEM.
Lesson Learned: Leveraging third-party facilitated training allowed GreenTech Innovations to establish a robust diversity and inclusion framework. Outsourcing this expertise ensured the company implemented best practices, improved employee engagement, and created a more inclusive work environment.
