How to make the most of your DEI training
And why training alone is never the whole answer
Organisations across the arts, culture and education sectors are investing more than ever in diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) training. Whether driven by values, policy, funder expectations or world events, training often feels like the obvious place to start.
But many leaders are left wondering:
Why doesn’t this always lead to lasting change?
Why do people leave inspired, but practice stays the same?
And how do we make sure our DEI training is worth the investment?
At Spotlight Inclusion, these questions matter to us deeply. Which is why we recently carried out research into the impact of DEI training on educators across England specifically looking at whether training changes attitudes and behaviour, and what conditions make it most effective.
The findings were clear:
DEI training can work, but only when it’s designed, situated and supported in the right way.
Here’s what our research tells us about how to make the most of your DEI training.
#1 Be clear about what training can (and can’t) do
DEI training is very good at some things.
Our research showed that training consistently:
Increases awareness of inequality and discrimination
Encourages reflection and self-awareness
Helps people see familiar situations in new ways
Most participants reported feeling more open, motivated or thoughtful after training.
Where training falls short is when it’s expected to deliver behaviour change on its own. While most people could identify useful tools or strategies, far fewer were able to embed them consistently into their work.
If your organisation’s strategy begins and ends with a training session, the impact will be limited, no matter how good the workshop is.
#2 Prioritise depth over speed
Short DEI sessions are common. They’re easier to schedule, often cheaper, easier to justify and feel less risky.
But our research found that longer, more in-depth sessions (two to three hours or a full day) were far more likely to:
Shift attitudes meaningfully
Enable people to understand how to apply learning
Lead to reported changes in practice
Shorter sessions raised awareness, but rarely led to implementation.
At Spotlight Inclusion we have always designed training that allows space for:
Context and nuance
Reflection and dialogue
Practical application
Because meaningful learning needs time, and people need support to identify and plan their actions. Now we have the evidence which proves that our approach is right.
#3 One-off training limits impact
Move beyond one-off training
Most participants experienced DEI training as a standalone event, rather than part of a wider programme or strategy. Where training sat within an ongoing offer, or was clearly linked to longer-term work, participants were much more likely to act on what they’d learned.
This is why our work rarely starts and ends with a single session.
Instead, we often support organisations through:
Programme-based training
Year-long learning offers
Training that links directly to organisational priorities
Sustained change requires planning for sustained engagement.
#4 Align DEI training with your organisation’s purpose
One of the strongest predictors of impact in our research was mission alignment.
When people felt DEI training reflected their organisation’s values and direction, they were more likely to:
Engage openly
Try new approaches
Embed learning into practice
Where training felt disconnected from leadership action or organisational culture, it was often experienced as tokenistic, even when the content was strong.
This is why we work closely with organisations before delivering training. Understanding your context, values and challenges helps ensure the work feels relevant, not imposed.
DEI training should reinforce who you are as an organisation, not feel like an add-on.
#5 Build in follow-up from the start
Nearly half of participants in our research reported no follow-up at all after DEI training.
That’s a missed opportunity.
People need time and support to:
Reflect on what they’ve learned
Experiment safely
Talk through challenges
Learn from each other
Follow-up doesn’t have to be complex or resource heavy. It might include:
Facilitated reflection sessions
Team discussions
Learning networks
Time to review policies or practice
What matters is signalling that learning is expected to continue.
#6 Recognise the role of leadership
Leadership conditions determine whether DEI training leads to change.
Barriers to action were overwhelmingly structural including: lack of time, lack of authority, unclear priorities. Interestingly, it was not a lack of willingness.
When leaders engaged with the learning themselves, removed barriers and backed people to act, training had significantly greater impact.
This is why our work often includes:
Leadership-focused sessions
Support for those responsible for implementation
Honest conversations about power, capacity and accountability
Because DEI work doesn’t sit with individuals alone — it sits with systems.
So what does good DEI training investment look like?
Our research suggests organisations get the most value from DEI training when they:
Choose depth, not speed
Situate training within a wider strategy
Align learning with organisational mission and values
Plan for follow-up and reflection
Ensure leaders actively support change
We embedded much of this practice without realising it was best practice. Our research has further shaped how we work at Spotlight Inclusion, whether that’s through bespoke programmes, long-term partnerships or our signature learning offers.
If you’re exploring what DEI training could look like in your organisation, we’d love to work with you.
Find out more about working with Spotlight Inclusion
Explore our training and learning offers
Because doing DEI well isn’t about ticking boxes.
It’s about creating the conditions where learning leads to action, and action leads to change.