Companies favour diversity training to create an open culture and comply with the law

Creating an open culture and complying with the law are equally important to employers when it comes to diversity training, according to research.

One in three employers said they offered diversity training to improve the working environment and another third cited legal compliance as their primary reason.

One in five employers also cited countering discrimination within their organisation as their main aim.

The survey of 73 organisations by Personnel Today's sister publication Employment Review found that most organisations include race, sex, disability, age, sexual orientation and religious belief as part of their diversity training programmes.

However, 11 of the 73 companies surveyed said they did not provide any diversity training, with budget restrictions cited as the main reason.