The Challenge

The conversation surrounding Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) has become essential in the workplace. Diversity refers to representation within the workforce, Inclusion ensures diverse workers are able to contribute to business outcomes, Equity safeguards fair treatment and equal access to opportunities and rewards for everyone, Belonging allows all employees to be welcomed and to thrive within the work environment.

Implementing a DEIB culture is not easy but it is well worth the significant effort when everyone in the organization feels a sense of fairness and acceptance. The four DEIB elements work together to improve workplace dynamics, productivity, and community and to establish an advantageous environment for the company’s leaders, workers, and partners.

Conversely, the absence of a DEIB culture can lead to friction, the lack of effective team work and camaraderie, increased business, legal, and financial risk, and diminished innovation, productivity, and organizational success.

To be successful, an organization must set a strategy for reaching and maintaining DEIB. The DEIB initiative must become a stated and shared business value across the company with clearly defined, strategic, and measurable goals. Ultimately, a successful DEIB training program creates High Performing Teams (HPTs) that meet the organization’s business and human goals.

The IMERSHEN Solution – Intentional DEIB training for High Performing Teams

The IMERSHEN Solution is a digital learning platform that is uniquely tailored to both the stated needs, goals, and training environment for each client and to the individual learning needs of each employee. This is accomplished through an innovative blend of today’s highly interactive technologies that creates tools, a learning environment, and a personalized coaching experience that allows staff to learn when, where, and how is best for them.

IMERSHEN’S HPT training methods reinforce DEIB strategies and goals by engendering a greater understanding and empathy for fellow workers through two key interactive technologies: Augmented Reality (AR) visualization role-playing and Serious Games.

Augmented Reality (AR) has long been used to simulate real-world scenarios. For instance, a pilot first learns to fly by using a flight simulator.  Today’s technology delivers AR in small, mobile, easily accessible units such as goggles and glasses. AR is highly effective in training through imagery and instruction that can be tailored to company and individual needs.

Serious Games, utilizing familiar, repurposed gaming technology, is an effective play-based learning tool that allows learners to assume and experience roles and perspectives outside their own background.

For DEIB training, interactive scenarios are created where, through visualization and guided role-playing, employees can experience how perspectives may be different based on a person’s life experience. Simulations can present how a person may encounter bias or non-inclusion and shift learners between their own experience and that of someone of a different background. This immersive learning module allows people to put themselves in a co-worker’s shoes and to learn sometimes difficult and unfamiliar lessons in a safe environment.

Chatbot (24/7 learning interactions) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) Personalization (learning personalization similar to Netflix or TikTok), two methods that are also key to employee training, supplement AR and Serious Games to provide an immersive and supportive DEIB skill building experience.