Lunch and Learns: DEI at Work
An increasing number of organizations are adopting the practice of “lunch and learns” to facilitate education in today's workplace. For in-office, hybrid, or fully remote workplaces, the lunch and learn offers benefits to every team!
Lunch and learns are voluntary informal education sessions conducted during mid-day meal breaks at work. During these sessions, a presenter shares knowledge on a specific topic, with the added benefit of the employer providing food.
When executed effectively, this approach has been recognized for its potential to support the personal and professional growth of employees, ultimately boosting their engagement and job satisfaction.
Benefits of Lunch and Learns
Skill Development 🤹🏽
These programs offer continuous learning opportunities that allow for skill enhancement and knowledge growth. Lunch and learns cover a variety of topics that employees might not typically encounter due to their roles or departments.
Consequently, these programs foster cross-knowledge transfer and equip employees with valuable skills applicable to their work. Studies have shown that 75% of people have a fear of speaking in public, often due to a lack of confidence and experience.
Encouraging employees to share their knowledge and lead sessions in an informal setting helps build confidence in public speaking, preparing them for success in more formal presentations, including client meetings.
Team Building 🏅
Lunch and learn sessions foster a collaborative work environment by uniting employees from various parts of the organization, encouraging socialization among individuals who might not otherwise have the opportunity to interact.
These informal gatherings provide employees with opportunities to reinforce interpersonal relationships and establish connections across different departments.
According to the American Psychological Association, evidence shows that team training, team building, leadership training, and debriefing have been shown to improve team performance in various settings including military, healthcare, academia, and multicultural teams.
Higher Employee Engagement 🔊
Offering access to training sessions demonstrates the organization's commitment to the professional development of its employees. With many opportunities for learning and advancement within the company, employees are more inclined to stay with the organization and remain actively engaged in their roles.
Improving employee engagement is highly important, given that disengagement leads to reduced productivity, negative attitudes, and less willingness to take on responsibilities. Collectively, disengaged employees cost U.S. organizations an estimated $450-550 billion annually.
Increased Job Satisfaction ☝🏿
According to a survey involving 1,200 U.S. employees, 90% considered a fun work environment highly motivating, enabling them to view their work as more than just a job but as a place for learning and personal growth.
Educational sessions contribute to this relaxed and enjoyable work atmosphere, where employees come together over a complimentary meal to acquire new knowledge, thereby improving the overall workplace experience.
8 Steps to Hosting a Successful Lunch and Learn
Step 1: Set the Schedule
Choose a suitable frequency for Lunch and Learns. Whether it's weekly or monthly, ensure it fits with your employees' schedules. Try to avoid periods that are known for being busy or days when employees work from home.
For example, Intel Atlanta hosts a Lunch and Learn for its hybrid teams every Thursday and encourages their employees to come and engage with colleagues.
Step 2: Select the Topics
Choose subjects that cater to your audience's interests. Understand the needs and interests of your employees by considering their roles, backgrounds, and career goals.
There is also the option of inviting employees to suggest or vote on topics to increase engagement.
Step 3: Invite the Speakers
Tailor your approach based on your budget and available resources. You have the option to invite internal experts from within the organization or engage external industry professionals to facilitate these sessions. Prioritize individuals who are not only knowledgeable but also engaging in their delivery.
Establish clear guidelines regarding the type of material they should develop for their sessions. This can include a range of formats, such as presentations, workshops, live demonstrations, or engaging interactive activities.
Step 4: Organize Logistics
Consider practical aspects like seating arrangements, catering, and the availability of A/V equipment. Ensure everything is ready before the event.
A key method to drive participation is to provide a lunch that your employees will enjoy. You can always resort to popular items such as pizza, sandwiches, or salads.
As you may not be able to meet everyone’s dietary needs, it’s important to communicate what food options are and are not available.
Step 5: Promote Your Event
Raise awareness through various communication channels: email, posters, company newsletters, social media, or platforms such as Slack or Teams.
Encourage participation by personally inviting colleagues to the session and make registration easy through a Google form. After an employee registers, send a meeting invite to block off time on their calendar.
Step 6: Host (and enjoy!)
On the day of the event, welcome participants, introduce the speaker and facilitate Q&A sessions. Make sure to keep the session on time and ensure an inclusive atmosphere.
Step 7: Gather Feedback
Following each Lunch and Learn, gather feedback from participants through surveys or informal discussions to assess what was effective and identify areas for improvement.
Use this feedback to make the necessary adjustments to future Lunch and Learn sessions. This may involve offering a menu that is more inclusive of dietary requirements or incorporating suggestions for upcoming topics.
Fun Fact: CultureAlly surveys participants in every session and provides the data to our clients, which makes each lunch and learn better than the last!
Step 8: Share, Iterate & Repeat
Highlight the success stories and outcomes of lunch and learns with the management team to promote their value. Gather and share testimonials from employees who attended as hearing about positive experiences can encourage more participation.
Use the feedback you’ve received in the previous session to improve your next event and keep learning!
20+ Ideas for Inclusive Lunch and Learns
Observance Training
Observance training is conducted to educate employees on the significance of events such as Black History Month or International Women’s Day.
These trainings can be seamlessly integrated into a lunch and learn format. By gaining insight into the cultural and historical context of these observances, employees can enhance their cultural competency and awareness.
2. Brainwriting
Brainwriting is an idea generation technique where participants independently jot down their thoughts in response to a question. They then collaborate as a group, sharing and expanding on their ideas to generate innovative solutions collectively.
Brainwriting emphasizes inclusivity, ensuring that everyone has an opportunity to contribute. This approach accommodates introverts and individuals who require more time to formulate ideas, thus promoting a more inclusive brainstorming environment.
You can use this brainwriting template to facilitate a session with your team!
3. Creative Writing
Creativity isn’t just for creatives, it’s a valuable skill regardless of the industry or position you work in.
Fostering creativity in the workplace results in numerous benefits such as the ability to devise innovative solutions for more effective problem-solving. This, in turn, enhances productivity and boosts adaptability in the workplace.
Invite a skilled writer to lead a creative writing workshop. Understanding the components of storytelling can greatly assist employees in structuring their presentations and reports.
Provide an intriguing prompt for employees to craft their own stories. During the subsequent lunch and learn session, those interested can share their narratives and receive constructive feedback.
4. Energy-Boosting
After lunch, it's common to crash and become a victim of sleepiness. Instead of immediately reaching for coffee, this lunch and learn session will explore healthy ways to maintain your energy levels throughout the day.
Here are a few pick-me-up tips you can provide during this session:
Incorporate light exercise to get your blood flowing, even a brisk 15-minute walk around the neighborhood can help.
Opt for a more nutritious lunch that's high in protein and low in carbohydrates.
Rehydrate with a refreshing glass of water.
Energize yourself with an upbeat music playlist.
5. Networking
Allocate a dedicated session for the sole purpose of meeting new people and developing social connections. This is especially valuable after welcoming a group of new hires. The idea of networking can be intimidating, especially for young professionals.
By organizing networking events within the workplace, you empower your employees to expand their networks, find mentors, exchange diverse perspectives and ideas, and practice making small talk.
6. Cybersecurity Awareness
Cyberattacks can be devastating with the average cost of global cybercrime reaching over $1 trillion, according to SHRM. Their occurrences have increased in recent years, targeting everyone from major corporations to small businesses and independent contractors.
These dedicated sessions are crucial to educating your team on the importance of cybersecurity, common threats, and best practices for online safety.
7. Artificial Intelligence
The world of AI is constantly changing. With the emergence of new and impactful technology such as ChatGPT, it can be helpful to host a session on how to use these tools and what to be cautious of.
Addressing the newest technology will only empower employees in the modern workplace.
8. Digital Marketing Trends
Stay updated on the latest digital marketing trends and techniques. Even if not all the attendees work in digital marketing, it provides insight on their colleagues’ field of work and offers valuable takeaways for their own initiatives.
The latest digital marketing trends encompass video content dominance and voice search optimization, along with a focus on personalization, AI, and inclusive content. Additionally, influencer marketing, augmented reality, and sustainability initiatives are gaining prominence in the ever-changing digital marketing landscape.
9. Stress Management and Mindfulness
Help employees manage stress and boost well-being through mindfulness practices and stress-reduction techniques.
“Three Good Things” is a group exercise where individuals share three good things that happened to them that day to promote gratitude and positivity.
Group guided meditation is another practice that can help ground employees, especially after a busy morning. It teaches employees valuable breathing exercises for day-to-day stress management.
10. Nature Walk
If you have access to a nearby park or outdoor space, consider organizing a group walk. The purpose is to encourage participants to immerse themselves in the natural surroundings and engage in conversation with colleagues, without the distractions of smartphones.
A brief disconnect from work, even just for 30 minutes, can significantly enhance focus and productivity upon return.
11. Nutrition and Fitness Tips
The physical and mental well-being of employees should be a top priority for employers for numerous reasons. Prioritizing employee wellness contributes to improved productivity, reduced healthcare costs, lower burnout rates and a more positive company culture.
Invite s a nutritionist to provide tips into maintaining healthy nutrition and fitness habits, even during hectic workdays. The nutritionist can demonstrate how to prepare easy, on-the-go snacks and meals and may even provide samples to actively engage the audience.
12. Time Management and Productivity
While the responsibility for personal and professional development primarily lies with the individual, it’s to the employer’s advantage to provide access to learning opportunities.
Host sessions where senior employees share insights they've gained over the course of their careers. These insights can revolve around maintaining a healthy work-life balance while excelling in their roles.
13. Financial Wellness
According to a University of Phoenix study involving 5,000 employees, 68% expressed their willingness to commit to a single employer for their entire career, provided they received sufficient opportunities for growth and training.
Invite a financial expert to share tips on budgeting, investing, and planning for a secure financial future.
14. Personal Branding and Career Development
Support employees in building their personal brand and advancing their careers through workshops focused on personal branding and goal setting.
These sessions empower individuals to boost their confidence and take control of their professional journeys within the organization.
15. Movie/Documentary Screening
When you're unable to secure a guest speaker or an employee to lead a session, featuring an educational movie is a great alternative.
Movies not only bring diverse perspectives but also serve as a catalyst for open conversations among employees, who can engage in discussions about the film after the session.
Employees may even appreciate being able to unplug during their lunch and indulge in visual content instead of listening to traditional presentations.
Here are 3 examples of work-appropriate movies/documentaries and the themes they cover:
13th - Explores the racial disparities within the U.S. criminal justice system.
The Social Network - Focuses on entrepreneurship and leadership.
The Theory of Everything - Depicts the life of physicist Stephen Hawking.
16. Intersectionality
Explore how different aspects of identity intersect and impact individuals. Discuss issues related to race, gender, sexuality, and other aspects of identity to foster greater understanding
17. Inclusive Leadership Skills
Teach managers and leaders how to create more inclusive teams and environments, focusing on leadership skills that value diversity and promote equity.
18. Microaggressions & Communication
Educate employees about microaggressions, their impact, and actionable strategies to mitigate discriminatory actions.
19. Allyship Training
Explore what authentic allyship looks like by teaching employees how to support and advocate for their colleagues. Discuss how the organization can amplify the voice of underrepresented groups.
20. DEI in Recruiting
Engage in discussions about strategies for promoting fair and inclusive hiring practices, emphasizing the importance of mitigating biases in the recruitment process.
While not all employees may currently be involved in hiring decisions, it's important to recognize that many will assume managerial roles in their career progression. Providing them with early exposure to the best practices in inclusive hiring will prove beneficial in the future.
Final Thoughts
As organizations increasingly acknowledge the importance of investing in the continuous development and well-being of their employees, Lunch and Learns continue to serve as a valuable and versatile tool for facilitating workplace learning.
These informal sessions not only offer perks such as free food but also promote continuous learning, strengthen interpersonal relationships, and help create a more positive company culture.
