Corporate Wellness Archives - Kelp

How To Develop Diversity Training That Is Actually Effective

Kelp — Fri, 17 Oct 2025 07:32:25 +0000

In today’s workplaces, diversity and inclusion are not just moral imperatives—they’re business priorities.. Organisations are recognising that a truly inclusive culture drives innovation, employee engagement, and long-term success. However, many companies struggle to implement training that is meaningful, sustained and measurable. A one-off workshop or mandatory module rarely achieves lasting change. So, how can organisations design diversity training that actually works?

Understanding Diversity and Inclusion

Before creating effective training, it’s important to clarify what we mean by diversity and inclusion. Diversity refers to the presence of varied identities and perspectives—gender, age, ethnicity, sexual orientation, physical ability, religion, socioeconomic background, and more. Inclusion, on the other hand, ensures that all employees feel valued, respected, and empowered to make meaningful contributions. Without inclusion, diversity initiatives risk being symbolic rather than systemic.

Data Spotlight: According to Deloitte (2023), inclusive workplaces are 1.7× more likely to be innovation leaders and report 2.3× higher cash flow per employee than their non-inclusive counterparts. This shows that inclusion is not just a social value—it’s a business driver

Common Challenges in Diversity Training

Many organisations attempt diversity training but encounter familiar pitfalls:

One-size-fits-all programs:Employees come from varied cultural and professional backgrounds. A generic module rarely resonates universally.
Lack of engagement:Lecture-based or policy-heavy sessions often feel like checkbox compliance.
Short-term focus:Real behavioural change requires reinforcement over time, not just a single session.
Resistance and defensiveness:When participants feel blamed or judged, openness and learning diminish.

Recognising these challenges is the first step to learning experiences that build empathy, awareness, and accountability.

Core Principles for Effective Diversity Training

1. Make it Interactive and Experiential

Adults learn best through experience and reflection. Incorporate role plays, case studies, and simulations, scenario-based discussions on bias in hiring, team collaboration, or performance feedback, and short animated videos showing inclusion in action. For example, A hiring simulation that reveals unconscious bias and guides participants to use structured decision-making tools.

Data Spotlight: Harvard Business Review (2022) found that interactive and story-based training increases retention of inclusive behaviours by up to 60% compared to lecture-based modules

2. Customise to Organisational Needs

Start with a diagnostic or needs assessment. Use surveys, focus groups, or cultural audits to identify inclusion gaps. Tailor content to your company’s values, demographics, and maturity stage on the DEI journey. This ensures the training feels authentic and relevant, not imported.

Data Spotlight: Gartner (2024) reports that customised training programs improve employee buy-in by 45% and lead to more consistent application of inclusive behaviours on the job.

3. Include Leadership as Champions

Leaders set the tone for inclusion. When senior leaders participate, share stories, and model inclusive behaviours, employees perceive DEI as strategic, not symbolic. Embedding leader accountability—such as linking inclusion metrics to performance reviews—drives credibility.

Data Spotlight: McKinsey’s Diversity Wins (2023) study shows that companies with diverse and inclusive leadership teams are 39% more likely to outperform peers in profitability.

4. Embed Learning in Everyday Work

Move from event-based to habit-based learning:

Include inclusion moments in team meetings.
Integrate DEI reflection in performance check-ins.
Recognise inclusive behaviours publicly.

When inclusion becomes part of how work happens, it sustains cultural change.

Data Spotlight: According to LinkedIn Learning (2024), organisations that embed micro-learning on inclusion within daily workflows see a 28% higher rate of long-term behaviour adoption.

5. Measure Impact

Tracking impact builds legitimacy and drives improvement. Measure:

Employee perception of belonging and fairness (survey scores).
Reduction in bias-related grievances or attrition.
Increased participation in mentoring or ERG initiatives.

Data Spotlight: Gartner (2024) found that companies that measure inclusion quarterly see 3× faster culture change than those that rely on annual reports alone.

Promoting Inclusivity Beyond Training

Training is the spark, not the solution. Reinforce it with systems and structures that sustain inclusion:

Employee Resource Groups (ERGs):Safe spaces for shared experiences and advocacy.
Mentorship and Sponsorship:Especially for under-represented employees.
Inclusive Policies:Equal parental leave, flexible work options, and accessibility accommodations.
Celebrations: Recognise cultural and identity-based events meaningfully.
Data Spotlight: Glassdoor (2023) reports that companies with active ERGs experience 33% higher employee engagement scores and 25% lower voluntary turnover.

These initiatives reinforce the lessons from training, making inclusion a lived experience rather than a theoretical concept.

The Role of Employee Engagement

Employee engagement thrives where inclusion thrives. Engaged employees feel heard, valued, and trusted—and they deliver higher performance.

Data Spotlight: Gallup (2023) found that companies with highly engaged and inclusive workforces are 2.5× more likely to have high-performing teams and 40% less likely to experience burnout

Conclusion

Designing effective diversity training demands intentionality, contextual relevance, and continuous reinforcement. Organisations must move beyond compliance to foster understanding, empathy, and inclusion as everyday practices.

At Kelp, we partner with organisations to craft interactive, data-driven, and culturally aligned diversity programs—transforming inclusion from a policy into a lived culture.
Because when every employee feels respected and empowered, organisations don’t just perform—they thrive.

The post How To Develop Diversity Training That Is Actually Effective appeared first on Kelp.

Why is Diversity Important in the Workplace?

Kelp — Wed, 21 Dec 2022 09:39:15 +0000

Diversity in the workforce prevents a situation of ‘monoculture’. While a monoculture has some obvious advantages, and helps the employees relate to each other better, speak a similar language and reach decisions faster, there are some things that are sacrificed, potential that is not realised, when the workplace fails to foster diversity.

The Irish potato famine is one of the most striking justifications against a monoculture as it led to a famine last several years and decimated the population of Ireland. If you look, there are several ways this can happen with companies which are heavily invested in a single product or service line, when a new technology arrives and shakes up the landscape. Some of those companies flounder and eventually become obsolete. Some of them are able to change and adapt.

Our workplaces, our boardrooms are not very different.

There are two aspects to diversity in the workplace – one is it is a natural incidence of getting folks together that have only their work in common. In that sense, while each candidate’s suitability to the job, their merit and experience is the basis of hiring, they bring with them their diverse backgrounds, their customs, their languages, their foods. Diversity also exists in the experiences, hobbies, lifestyles.

Another is that socioeconomic, historical and biological realities do create stratifications, divisions and monocultures. You may have noticed how there is overrepresentation of certain communities in certain businesses / industries, how there is a gender skew based on the department and the position, and how there are some jobs that are divided by default across lines of age.

Similar socioeconomic backgrounds beget similar experiences, similar experiences lead to common life lessons and those result in limited variety of ideas and solutions in the workplace. You cannot expect much innovation in a room where everyone looks, thinks and talks the same. Diversity allows for normative thinking to be challenged, and for new thought processes to be introduced, more diverse organisations are able to anticipate and serve the needs of more diverse consumer bases better.

This is not to say that homogeneity does not have its merits. Having people around who share social and cultural norms can create comfortable and safe spaces by default, there is likely to be less disagreement to any proposition (It is not possible for an idea to be debated endlessly), and convergence (if not conformity) has to be seen as the endgame for decision-making. But the good news is, we do not have to sacrifice diversity at the altar in order to achieve these.

That is where good leadership, corporate governance and strong culture become very important.

Diversity without inclusion can lead to discrimination. Everyone reading this has at some point in their career felt that they were not fully welcome or did not belong, in a certain organisation, in a room, in a discussion. A good leader ensures everyone feels included. It can be a simple act of going around the table to check that everyone has had a chance to air their views, it can be a direct question aimed at the introverted person, or the youngest person in the meeting. Not everyone knows intuitively how to include, and this is where diversity and inclusion training can be the missing pieces of the puzzle.

And then there are the parts of ourselves which don’t come up in meetings, but are part of us – the food we eat, our sexual orientation – these aspects of us don’t have to be given special status, but they need to be given their place and acknowledged. Workplaces where some facets of employees’ lifestyles or personalities are discouraged, see greater attrition. Training managers and leaders in inclusion practices helps to avoid some typical issues such as prejudice, stereotyping and its consequences such as discrimination, micro-aggressions and exclusion.

So as you can see, diversity is something that is already there in any workplace, in some measure. However, there is a need to engineer it to some extent as well. This does not come without its challenges. A great leader insists on facing the challenges that diversity brings, head on, rather than suppressing it. Some of you reading this may one day go on to found or lead organisations, you would want to be a great leader.

Therefore, diversity and inclusion are features of great organisations, diversity and inclusion are championed by great leaders. Not only because of the benefits listed above, but because it is the right thing to do.

At KelpHR we believe that having a diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace is the key to business transformation and growth and that we must be inclusive of all persons irrespective of any differences. To know more about KelpHR’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion solutions do call us at +91-95001-29652, email info@kelphr.com, visit www.kelphr.com

About KelpHR

KelpHR was incorporated in 2013 to provide the best HR solutions to organizations, and to improve workplace culture across the board. Over the last 8 years, we have serviced more than 700 clients in India and a few overseas, across various industries in the areas of PoSH (prevention of sexual harassment at workplace), D, E & I (Diversity, Equity & Inclusion) and EAP. But the common objective of all of these services is to build safer, happier, inclusive and productive workplaces.

For any of our other services related to Prevention of Sexual Harassment (PoSH) or Employee Assistance programs (EAP) do get in touch with us at info@kelphr.com, call +91-95001-29652 and we’d be able to help you with customized offerings suited to your organization

The post Why is Diversity Important in the Workplace? appeared first on Kelp.

What Keeps The CHROs Awake?

Kelp — Thu, 25 Jun 2015 12:09:44 +0000

The answer is simple- their people.
We caught up with the CHROs of Phillips India, Roche Diagnostics India, and Lanco to understand more about what kept them constantly on their toes, and the reply was unanimous; their people, their employees.

Ravi Kumar, the CHRO of Roche Diagnostics India, said that the secret to keeping your employees happy was to think of them and treat them as family. Deepak Bharara, the CHRO of Lanco, believes in trusting, believing, and empowering his employees and Krish Shankar, the CHRO of Phillips, India has set his heart on the continuous development of his employees and shaping and nurturing them into becoming the young and dynamic leaders of the future.
As HR Heads, each of these dynamic people motivators have an unshakeable strategy for their people agenda. However, the people agenda cannot stand in isolation; it has to be aligned to the overall business agenda and who understands this better than Krish Shankar. While from an overall business perspective, his focus is on doubling Phillips India’s revenue, developing new products, and transitioning the business from being only product oriented to also being service oriented, his primary focus is on building a talent pipeline and fostering innovation using a strategic workforce plan. His dream is to make Phillips India “a hotbed of talent”. Deepak Bharara is laying the path to improving his manpower planning and streamlining the talent and leadership issues within the organization. Ravi Kumar, on the other hand, is striving with his team to recruit some fresh talent into the close knit diagnostics industry, and into Roche Diagnostics India in particular. His focus is also on increasing the percentage of women employees in the organization.
Despite the fluid and fluctuating nature of business and the global economic slowdown, all three organizations are on a growth path and rightly so, as their CHROs are laying so much emphasis not only on aggressively growing the business, but are also focused on growing their people along with it. The industries of high tech healthcare and diagnostics, especially, are gaining new grounds due to the increased awareness in the Indian consumers. While consumer awareness is on one end of the spectrum, each of the CHROs have their own strongholds on strategizing a talent pipeline, creating a dynamic succession plan within the organization, and creating and fostering charismatic young leaders to take their business a step further.
Change is the only thing that is constant, and that is one concept that these leaders are trying to instil within all their people. In order for the business to grow, processes, systems, and people need to change but getting people to accept and embrace the change is not always easy. And there is no denying the fact that the culture of an organization can change only if there is a top down and a bottom up approach.

Deepak Bharara feels that in order to grow together, the culture of an organization needs to change and he believes that this can happen on the basis of the principles of Leadership, Entrepreneurship, and Ownership. These same principles are advocated as the strongest motivating factors by Ravi Kumar as well. He feels that one of the factors that motivate an employee is being recognised through exposure to national and international assignments, Leadership programmes and cross functional projects. The employees of Lanco have their motivation in the strong ethical value system hat Deepak has lovingly built, the scope for horizontal as well as vertical growth and the continuous Learning & Development that is doled out to them. Krish Shankar believes in motivating his people by identifying their skills, fostering them, and making them into dynamic leaders.
While almost all global companies who operate as separate divisions in India do face local issues in their people management or in the manufacturing plant, Krish Shankar says: “I have been lucky in my journey so far. I have not had any local or manufacturing issues as an obstacle.” The path, however, has not been as smooth for Deepak. He spoke candidly about the issues they faced during the sale of a plant to Lanco. Having too many contractual employees and rigid governance regulatory norms had been an impediment in the smooth transition. Ravi Kumar also expressed his views on the changing regulations. But he believes that he can bridge these gaps by keeping his employees in the know-how of the latest technology advancements in the Diagnostics industry.
“Is there any one HR problem that you would like to wish away by magic?” asked Deepali of KelpHR. While Deepak guffawed saying he did not believe in magic, Krish Shankar said that he would wish for good, dynamic leaders and Ravi Kumar said that it would be an increase in the number of women employees along with building a succession pipeline. One thought that seems to unite all their views, is the lack of second line leadership and they are all striving to build a better base to create just that.

Krish Shankar says that his success mantra is very simple; “Build talent, build capabilities, and identify strengths and build on that as well. This is the same mantra that I would like to cascade to my fellow HR professionals as well.” Deepak Bharara advises: “The one mantra that I try to practise at all times is the 3Fs – be fair, firm, and friendly and I hope that all my fellow HR peers would strive to follow the same as well.” Ravi Kumar spoke with great pride about the openness in his organization and feels: “We have great HR practices and that stems from the fact that we treat our employees as family.”
Like other business leaders, CHROs are also predominantly working towards achieving operational excellence and aggressively growing their business. But it is clear, after our chat with these three dynamic HR leaders, that the growth of an organization depends on the growth of its people and if you can motivate your people to develop and grow, then nothing can stop your organization from growing as well. After all, people drive business!

The post What Keeps The CHROs Awake? appeared first on Kelp.

Are your Thoughts, Words and Actions in sync?

Kelp — Thu, 25 Jun 2015 12:05:53 +0000

It is very often said “Mind your thoughts, for they become your actions, mind your actions for they often become a habit and mind your habits for they reflect your character”. We are driven by some of our inner thoughts and while the words we say and express may not reflect them, these very thoughts become very visible to people because of our actions and motives. Everyone around us especially at the workplace is quite capable at reading what our thoughts and views are even though we may never explicitly voice this.

This in turn leads to several aspects of behaviour that we need to be watchful of in an office context. In my role as a coach of dozens of senior executives in the country, I often have had a chance to reflect on them. I come across executives who believe that they are saying and doing the right things and yet do not seem to understand why they have a particular negative effect on a situation. Let us recollect some of these:

1. What matters is not what you communicate but what you do at the work place.

I have often heard executives claim that people are their greatest assets and how much they value their own staff. Yet the very same staff is made to wait endlessly for a meeting that could have been done and completed with a little bit of planning on time. If our thoughts are really that people are our greatest assets, then we must make sure that we treat them in every way that reflects that thought. I remember walking into a clothing store and being met by the owner an old friend of mine and being fawned over in the most polite manner. All was well till he turned around to one of his staff and blasted him in the most aggressive manner possible. It was a shock to me and brought home the point that while communications may indicate one thing, what matters is the thought that lies behind.

2. Thoughts are more visible then what you say, so therefore clarify your own thoughts before you want to communicate them.

The year was 2009 and one of the software companies in Bangalore had suffered because of the recession in the USA. Employees were being laid off and the future was not very certain. The CEO went out and addressed the employees trying to put a brave front that all was well and they would tide over the crisis. However his choice of words, the tone and the body language reflected his true state of mind and nobody in the room bought his ideas. Things actually went further downhill after the address. Perhaps if he had taken time out to clarify his mind with the thoughts filling them and then communicated that as honestly as possible, the employees would have responded more positively. Clearly the first step is to sit down, think through your own thought process and organise the same before you try and explain it to anybody. People read whatever they want to read of what you are telling them and not necessarily what you want them to hear.

3. The “Abundance Mentality versus the Scarcity Mentality”

Stephen Covey has often talked about this in his books when he talks about the Abundance Mentality and I have always found that those of us who believe there is enough to go around, always seem to get more for themselves while those who struggle through a perceived shortage in their head always have to live in famine. Nowhere is this more visible then when it comes to appreciating others at the work place. There are some executives I find who are quick, generous and public in the praise and appreciation for others and these executives usually seem to get the best out of their team. Yet again there are others who worry about any appreciation as the danger of the other side taking advantage of me is very strong. They are miserly and delayed in their appreciation, with the result that everyone around them holds back the best they can offer. Shredding those inhibitions and dealing with a situation with an belief in abundance seems to go much further then holding yourself back and trying to forever plan for that perceived scarcity in your head.

4. Thoughts need not always be what others want them to be

Maturity is often defined as the balance between having the patience to hear what others have to say and the courage to express your own thoughts. In an Indian work context, I have often come across subordinates who are eager to reflect what their bosses say, even though they feel and quite rightly so that the boss may not be right. It is time then to stop being a “Yes Man” and put on the maturity cap and articulate what is in your mind clearly. We often mix up the way of communicating a message with the message itself. Hence we are so worried of the impact a message may have and the appropriate way to communicate it, that we fail to communicate the message itself. Be able to free yourself from the burden of having to state what others are expecting you to state and bringing up your true thoughts albeit backed up with data and facts would inevitably rank you higher in the organisation map. If the message content is constantly being mixed up in your company for the message form, then it probably is time for you to search out a place where content would be respected.

In the end it comes down to three important aspects
a. Be willing to search for and come up with your own thoughts in a given situation
b. Be true to yourself and reflect what is in your mind. Do not try and camouflage what you are thinking for that is quite apparent to those around it.
c. Do not sacrifice what you want to say while you debate how you want to say it. Start with the content in mind and modify it with a suitable way of delivering it and not vice versa

At KelpHR, our mental health and wellness counsellors and experts can help you with solutions for the mental health and well-being of your employees through our Counselling and Employee Assistance Programs. For more on our customized and confidential Employee Assistance Program (EAP) solutions that help provide mental health and wellness for organizations and their employees, do get in touch with us at info@kelphr.com, call +91-95001-29652.

About KelpHR

KelpHR was incorporated in 2013 to provide the best HR solutions to organizations, and to improve workplace culture across the board. Over the last 8 years, we have serviced more than 700 clients in India and a few overseas, across various industries in the areas of POSH (prevention of sexual harassment at workplace), D, E & I (Diversity, Equity & Inclusion) and EAP. But the common objective of all of these services is to build safer, happier, inclusive and productive workplaces.

For any of our other services related to Prevention of Sexual Harassment (PoSH) or Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (D, E&I), do get in touch with us at info@kelphr.com, call +91-95001-29652 and we’d be able to help you with customized offerings suited to your organization.

The post Are your Thoughts, Words and Actions in sync? appeared first on Kelp.

Keys to a successful Workplace Wellness program

Kelp — Thu, 25 Jun 2015 12:04:10 +0000

Today it is more than a mere buzzword. Organizations are certainly taking employee wellness more seriously. And with good reason too. On the benevolent side of the tilting scale employers are concerned about rising health issues of their workforce. On the selfish end, of course, lie healthcare costs. Either way, the drivers for this trend are urgent and critical.

But do happy beginnings make for happy endings? Like the proverbial road to hell being paved with noble intentions, too many organizations trying to implement wellness programs are left wondering with the million-dollar question. Where are we going wrong in spite of our commitment?

The truth lies in understanding both the objective and the tools of execution of a good and sustainable corporate wellness program. Treat it like a tick in the box, either the tick or the box will move away from the other. Treat it like a mere band-aid, and you will find the wound actually festering inside it.
Corporate wellness is truly the culmination of many solutions that work together under one strategy. It certainly helps to appoint a wellness integrator who links purpose, knowledge, efficiency, creativity and operational excellence to do your program proud and successful.
So what are the keys to a wellness program that actually works? Here are some best practices towards developing and implementing a successful wellness program.

Senior management, your commitment is critical. Show your employees that the organization is willing to commit funding and link health promotion to business goals, values and strategic priorities
Set up an inclusive wellness team to take on the ownership of the program. Empower them to get the buy-in from the rest of the organization. Let them wear their thinking caps to ensure the program is responsive to the needs of all participants
Discover, gather and analyze data to assess employee health interests and risks. Craft your wellness program on this data.
The vision may be complete but the mission is not until a meticulous operating plan is drawn up. It must have measurable objectives and goals, plus ‘touch-and-feel’ engagement aspects that motivate and inspire the workforce.
Draw a seamless line-of-sight between the health initiatives chosen and the data gathered. Link them cohesively to goals and objectives. Address prevailing risk factors in your employee population. And let the wellness program have both what management and employees want.
Create a supportive environment for your wellness initiatives. Make encouragement, opportunity and rewards your sergeants at arms for your wellness initiatives. If a culture of health is what you are trying to achieve, stock the pantry and vending machines with healthy food choices. Look at flexible work schedules celebrate health achievements
Make it creative. Make it dynamic and stimulating. Corporate wellness s cannot be boring for sure!
Above all, have the management team model healthy behavior
Track, monitor and evaluate with transparency. This allows you to collectively celebrate goals that have been achieved and to discontinue or change ineffective initiatives.

Preventable wellness is a complete lifestyle and behavior change. The good news is that it is a truth that both organizations and employees agree on. This gives rise to a potential commitment mentally, emotionally and on a conscience level. With this tremendous punch of unanimous goodwill, doing nothing is just not an option.

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