G-VERSITY · Project

Evidence-Based Gender Diversity Training Tools for Recruitment, Retention, and Careers

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gversity-2020.eu

Most companies know they should be more diverse, but their training programs are often based on guesswork rather than evidence. G-VERSITY brought together 8 research groups and 7 non-academic partners across Europe to figure out what actually works — from hiring to promotions — for women, men, and sexual and gender minorities. They ran 15 research projects and built prototype training manuals that employers can use off the shelf. Think of it as replacing gut-feel diversity workshops with toolkits that are backed by real data on what changes behavior.

By the numbers

individual research projects conducted

countries represented in the research consortium

partner organizations in the consortium

non-academic partners including a gender equality certification company

project deliverables produced

The business problem

What needed solving

Companies across Europe face mounting pressure — regulatory, reputational, and operational — to improve gender diversity in hiring, retention, and leadership. Most existing diversity training programs lack scientific grounding and produce no measurable change. Organizations need evidence-based tools that actually shift behavior, not just check a compliance box.

The solution

What was built

The project produced prototype gender diversity training manuals for companies, along with workshops, guidelines, and training materials designed for use in recruitment, retention, and career advancement. An interactive web platform called SOLUTIONS was also developed for wider dissemination.

Audience

Who needs this

HR directors at multinational corporations implementing DEI programsDEI consulting firms seeking research-backed training contentPublic broadcasters and media organizations under diversity mandatesRecruitment agencies looking to reduce bias in hiring processesOrganizations pursuing gender equality certification (e.g., EDGE, GEP)

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Human Resources & Recruitment

enterprise

Target: Large recruitment agencies and HR consultancies

If you are an HR consultancy struggling to deliver measurable diversity outcomes for your clients — this project developed prototype gender diversity training manuals tested across 8 countries, covering recruitment, retention, and career advancement. These research-backed tools can replace generic workshops with interventions designed to produce actual behavioral change in hiring managers and team leads.

Media & Broadcasting

mid-size

Target: Public and commercial broadcasters, media training centres

If you are a broadcaster or media organization facing pressure to improve on-screen and behind-the-scenes gender representation — this project included a public broadcasting service and a media training centre among its 7 non-academic partners. The resulting guidelines and workshop materials address how media portrayal shapes gender diversity perceptions and what organizations can do internally.

Corporate DEI Consulting

SME

Target: Diversity, equity, and inclusion consulting firms

If you are a DEI consultancy looking for scientifically grounded tools rather than off-the-shelf generic training — this project produced 15 deliverables including prototype training materials spanning psychology, education, management, and communication studies. The toolbox was designed for both public sector policy makers and commercial companies, giving consultants ready-made content backed by cross-European research.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to license or use these training materials?

The project does not publish pricing for its training prototypes. As an MSCA-ITN funded initiative, outputs are typically made available through academic and project channels. Contact the coordinator at Universität Bern for licensing or collaboration terms.

Can these tools scale to a large multinational organization?

The training materials were developed and informed by research across 8 countries (CH, CZ, DE, FI, IT, NL, SE, UK), which gives them a cross-cultural foundation. However, they are prototypes — adaptation and piloting within a specific corporate environment would be needed before full-scale rollout.

Who owns the intellectual property for these training tools?

IP from MSCA-ITN projects is typically held by the beneficiary institutions, in this case led by Universität Bern. The consortium of 10 partners would have agreed on IP sharing terms. Specific licensing arrangements should be discussed with the coordinator.

Are there regulatory drivers that make this relevant now?

The EU Pay Transparency Directive (2023) and growing ESG reporting requirements are pushing companies toward evidence-based gender equality measures. These tools directly address the need for documented, research-backed diversity interventions that can satisfy reporting and certification requirements.

What concrete outputs exist beyond research papers?

The project produced prototypes of gender diversity training manuals for companies, workshops, guidelines, and an interactive web platform called SOLUTIONS. A total of 15 deliverables were produced across the project's duration from 2020 to 2024.

Does this work with existing HR systems?

The training materials are designed as standalone workshops, guidelines, and manuals rather than software integrations. Based on available project data, the toolbox targets recruitment, retention, and career advancement processes — areas where it would supplement rather than replace existing HR technology.

Consortium

Who built it

The G-VERSITY consortium of 10 partners across 8 countries is heavily academic — 8 universities and 1 research organization versus just 1 industry partner (10% industry ratio). Zero SMEs are involved. The non-academic engagement comes through 7 associated partners mentioned in the objective, including a company working on global certification for workplace gender equality, a city administration, a public broadcaster, and a media training centre. For a business buyer, this means the research base is strong but the commercial translation path is thin — these tools were designed in universities, not stress-tested in corporate environments at scale.

UNIVERSITAET BERNCoordinator · CH
HELSINGIN YLIOPISTOparticipant · FI
UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI TRIESTEparticipant · IT
STICHTING RADBOUD UNIVERSITEITparticipant · NL
THE OPEN UNIVERSITYparticipant · UK
FREIE UNIVERSITAET BERLINparticipant · DE
UNIVERSITY OF SURREYparticipant · UK
STOCKHOLMS UNIVERSITETparticipant · SE

How to reach the team

Universität Bern, Switzerland — reach the project lead through the university's psychology or gender studies department

Order a report on this consortium See UNIVERSITAET BERN profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

SciTransfer can help you evaluate these training prototypes for your organization and arrange a direct introduction to the research team. Contact us for a tailored brief.

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