Estimated reading time: 8 minutes
Many organisations talk about diversity and inclusion. Fewer stop to ask whether their training supports those goals. I think it is safe to assume that businesses are now investing more heavily in leadership programmes, compliance courses, and technical training, sometimes out of sheer necessity.
The difficulty thereafter is that these organisations can tend to deliver everything in a format that suits only part of the workforce. Employees on different shifts miss sessions. Remote workers can sometimes feel like an afterthought instead of a valued team member while staff with accessibility needs face unnecessary obstacles. Before long, the organisation wonders why engagement remains low.
Most likely, this can happen because training is sometimes viewed as a single event instead of an ongoing experience.
A well-designed online learning platform changes all that by giving every employee a fair opportunity to learn, regardless of where they work, how they learn, or what challenges they face. Better still, inclusive learning often improves business performance, employee retention, and customer service at the same time. If this is what you are after for your organisation, I would invite you to read on!
Diversity describes the mix of people within your organisation. Inclusion describes whether those people feel welcomed, respected, and given equal opportunities to contribute.
Training influences both.
Think about a new employee joining your business. Their first learning experience shapes how they feel about your organisation. If training feels confusing, inaccessible, or designed for someone else, confidence drops before meaningful work even begins.
By contrast, an online learning platform creates a consistent learning experience for every employee. Everyone receives the same quality of content while still learning in ways that suit individual needs.
Research continues to support this direction. McKinsey has consistently linked diverse and inclusive organisations with stronger innovation and higher levels of business performance. Those findings suggest diversity is no longer simply an HR initiative. It has become a business strategy.
Traditional classroom training still has an important place. Face-to-face discussion often works well for workshops and collaborative sessions. The challenge lies in assuming everyone has equal access to those sessions.
Employees work different hours. Some travel regularly. Others split their week between home and the office. International teams operate across multiple time zones. An online learning platform removes many of those scheduling problems.
Employees learn when they have time. They pause a lesson halfway through. They return later without losing progress. Someone in Lancashire receives the same learning experience as a colleague in Singapore.
From what I’ve experienced over the last 10 years, flexibility remains one of the strongest reasons people value online learning and McKinsey and Company would agree with me. McKinsey surveyed more than 7,000 learners across 17 countries and found many wanted online elements such as recorded sessions, flexible study schedules, and easy access to learning resources to remain part of their education. Those expectations increasingly carry across into workplace learning.
Learn Without Audio:
Employees follow training in busy offices, public transport, or quiet environments without missing key information. Captions also support employees whose first language differs from the course language.
Equal Access:
Accessible course design allows employees using assistive technology to complete training independently. Every learner receives the same opportunity to succeed.
Learn Anywhere:
Responsive course design gives employees access whether they work in an office, warehouse, retail location, or from home. Learning fits around work rather than interrupting it.
Accessibility often enters conversations because of legislation. I think businesses miss the bigger opportunity. Good accessibility improves learning for everyone.
Captions help employees with hearing impairments. They also help people working in noisy environments.
Screen reader support assists visually impaired learners. Clear page layouts improve the experience for every user.
Downloadable transcripts help learners whose first language differs from yours. They also help employees who prefer reading over watching videos.
The World Wide Web Consortium has promoted accessible digital experiences for years because accessible design improves usability across the board. UNESCO also encourages learning providers to build platforms and content that include learners with disabilities from the beginning rather than treating accessibility as an afterthought.
Employees notice who appears in training materials. Stock photos showing identical teams send subtle messages. Case studies featuring one type of customer create another.
Inclusive learning reflects the people who work inside your business and the customers they serve. This does not require ticking boxes. Instead, review your courses with fresh eyes.
Do the examples reflect different industries? Do images include different ages, cultures, and abilities?
Do scenarios recognise hybrid working, flexible careers, and varied life experiences? Small improvements often create a stronger sense of belonging than expensive redesign projects.
One size rarely fits everyone. A new starter needs onboarding. A manager needs leadership training. Sales teams require different skills from engineers.
An online learning platform allows learning paths based on job role, department, experience, or career ambitions. Employees spend less time completing irrelevant training and more time developing skills that support their work.
Completion rates tend to improve when learners understand why a course matters to them personally. Learning becomes something employees value rather than something they tolerate.
Goster can help you to develop online learning which improves and enhances diversity and inclusion across your organisation. Learn more about how we do this for our clients during your free discovery chat
Better Engagement:
Employees complete more learning when courses remain flexible, accessible, and relevant. Higher engagement often leads to stronger knowledge retention.
Consistent Global Training:
Every employee receives the same quality learning regardless of location. Local languages, subtitles, and regional examples keep content relevant without losing consistency.
Stronger Compliance.
Mandatory training becomes easier to manage through automated reminders, reporting, and learner tracking. Managers spend less time chasing completion records.
Many organisations begin this journey because they want fairer workplaces which remains an excellent reason.
But the great thing about this approach is that business performance improves as inclusive learning helps attract talent no matter the sector!
Employees feel valued because development opportunities remain available to everyone. Managers identify future leaders from across the organisation rather than from the employees who happened to attend classroom sessions.
Research from Deloitte highlights continuing barriers experienced by employees with disabilities and neurodivergence in the workplace. Creating accessible learning experiences forms one practical step towards reducing those barriers and strengthening workplace inclusion.
Technology alone does not create inclusion as poorly designed courses remain poor regardless of platform. Good online learning follows five simple principles:
Making an effort to incorporate these principles should benefit experienced professionals and new starters alike. It is also important to keep in mind that accessibility should become part of every design conversation rather than something reviewed at the end of the project.
I could be wrong (it wouldn’t be the first time!), but I think many organisations still underestimate the influence training has on workplace culture.
An online learning platform gives businesses an opportunity to build inclusion into everyday development rather than treating diversity as an annual initiative. When employees receive equal access to learning, everyone benefits. Skills improve. Confidence grows. Teams collaborate more effectively. Businesses become better prepared for whatever comes next.
And your preparedness for growth is job #1 for us at Goster. Reach out to us for a free 15 minute discovery call to explore your options for implementing an online learning platform to improve the diversity and inclusion of your organisation.
Let us show you the many options available to you to create a manageable, affordable, scalable online course—no obligation.