Avatar of Kathryn Caswell to serve as headshot for Government Workforce Conference

kathryn caswell

Kathryn Caswell 

In today’s increasingly diverse and geographically dispersed federal workforce, creating culturally relevant training videos is more important than ever. According to Gallup, only about two in 10 employees feel culturally connected to their organization.By creating culturally relevant training videos, you can improve engagement and learning outcomes.Understanding Culturally Relevant TrainingCreating training that connects on a cultural level means ensuring that the content is relatable and respectful of the diverse cultural backgrounds of the employees.Cultural differences can be influenced by race, sex, gender, sexual orientation, language, and socioeconomic status, as well as age, religion, family, geographical location, and social networks. When learners and students engage with content that reflects their cultural experiences and values, they feel more included and engaged and have improved learning outcomes.Here are five suggestions to help your training videos successfully connect with your audience in appropriate and meaningful ways.1. Conduct a Cultural AssessmentBefore creating training content, understand the cultural composition of your workforce. Surveys, focus groups, and demographic data offer insights into employee cultures and values, so you understand which practices you can build to make your training more culturally accessible.For example, an organization creating a cybersecurity training video series may send out a survey that finds:Employee core values emphasize ethical behavior and compliance.The workforce consists of a mix of experienced professionals and recent graduates.Some employees indicate limited familiarity with cybersecurity practices.To make cybersecurity videos relevant to this workplace culture, the training team may: Focus on how cybersecurity practices create a more ethical and compliant work environment.Use real-life examples and case studies from employee experiences.Segment the training. Create a basic version for beginners and advanced versions for more experienced learners.Tailoring characters, scenarios, and language to your organization’s data ensures your videos remain relevant, engaging, and inclusive.2. Use Inclusive VisualsUse diverse characters in your training videos to represent different cultural backgrounds that are reflective of your workforce.In addition to including characters with a variety of skin tones, include characters with different ages, religious backgrounds, gender expressions, and body types.Even hair and clothing choices can make visuals more inclusive. For example, afro-textured hair continues to be stigmatized in the workplace. Featuring characters in training videos wearing natural and protective hairstyles could help include Black employees while increasing awareness and mitigating bias.3. Use Inclusive LanguageUse simple and direct language. It may be tempting to include slang or jargon you think might appeal to one of your audiences, but this can cause confusion for those who don’t share the same cultural or linguistic background. You may also find yourself relying on stereotypes. Focus on making the content relevant to your learners’ needs and values.Whenever possible, make copies of your videos available in different languages. All-in-one video creation tools like Vyond offer quick translation features that even account for regional dialect. This will allow you to make your videos more relevant to those with a variety of linguistic backgrounds.4. Consider the Roles of Your CharactersBe cognizant of not only whether you include characters from diverse backgrounds in your video, but what roles those characters play.Watch for any trends or biases in the kinds of roles you give your characters. Are you placing your blind character in the role of a supervisor or a junior employee? Are your characters of color primarily teachers or students?Ensuring diverse representation in leadership roles promotes inclusivity and equality.5. Involve ReviewersTo ensure your videos are relevant and appropriate, involve trusted reviewers from the backgrounds you aim to reach. This can mean:Sharing script and storyboards with your team before you start creating the videoBeta testing your video with small groups of your learnersGathering feedback from subject matter experts who represent the cultural backgrounds you’re targetingIncorporate feedback on language, visuals, content, format, and script, and iterate. Regularly update and refine the training content to ensure it remains relevant and effective.Culture evolves over time. As trainers and colleagues, it’s our ongoing responsibility to make sure learners are represented and their needs are met through our training programs.