How can you develop a service desk staff development program that promotes diversity and inclusion?

1 Benefits of diversity and inclusion

Diversity and inclusion are not just buzzwords or compliance issues; they are essential for creating a service desk that can meet the needs and expectations of a diverse and global customer base, as well as attract and retain talented and motivated staff. A service desk that values diversity and inclusion can reap the rewards of improved customer satisfaction and loyalty, enhanced innovation and creativity, increased productivity and performance, and reduced turnover and absenteeism. By communicating effectively, empathizing, tailoring solutions to different customer segments and preferences, bringing diverse ideas, insights, and approaches to problem-solving and service improvement, collaborating better, learning from each other, leveraging strengths and skills, feeling valued, respected, and engaged in their work environment - all these benefits can be achieved.

2 Assess your current situation

In order to design and implement a service desk staff development program that promotes diversity and inclusion, you must assess your current situation and identify the gaps and opportunities for improvement. This can be done through a diversity audit, where data is collected and analyzed regarding the demographics, attitudes, and perceptions of your staff and customers. Additionally, feedback can be solicited from your staff and customers about their experiences, challenges, and suggestions related to diversity and inclusion in your service desk. Lastly, you should evaluate your policies and practices to review if they support or hinder diversity and inclusion by looking at your existing staff development program, as well as your recruitment, retention, recognition, and reward systems.

3 Define your goals and objectives

Based on your assessment, you can define goals and objectives for your service desk staff development program that promote diversity and inclusion. These should be aligned with your IT strategy, vision, customer needs, and expectations. Your objectives should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. For example, you could aim to increase the representation and participation of underrepresented groups in your service desk staff by a certain percentage by a certain date. You could also strive to improve customer satisfaction scores by a set number of points by a certain date by enhancing the cultural competence and communication skills of your service desk staff. Additionally, you could work to foster a culture of inclusion and belonging in your service desk by implementing certain initiatives by a defined date.

4 Design and deliver your program

Once you have defined your goals and objectives, you can design and deliver a service desk staff development program that promotes diversity and inclusion. Training and education should be provided to give staff knowledge, skills, and tools to understand, respect, and value diversity and inclusion. Mentoring and coaching can pair staff with experienced and diverse mentors to help them grow. Networking and collaboration should be created for staff to interact, exchange, and learn from each other and from diverse groups. Recognition and reward should be given to acknowledge achievements related to diversity and inclusion, with incentives and feedback for motivation.

5 Monitor and evaluate your program

Finally, you need to monitor and evaluate your service desk staff development program that promotes diversity and inclusion, and measure its impact and outcomes. This can be done by collecting and analyzing data that track and compare indicators and metrics related to your goals. Additionally, gathering feedback from staff and customers is essential to determine the effectiveness, relevance, and value of the program. Making adjustments and improvements to the program is also necessary to ensure its continual alignment with your IT strategy and vision.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?