The flags are waving, the rainbows are out, and this year’s pride month is well underway. But with over 76% of LGBTQ employees saying they’ve hidden their identity at work, it’s clear that the modern workplace perhaps isn’t as inclusive as one might hope.
As custodians of diversity, the role of HR in championing best practice is vital. However, navigating the route to inclusivity – particularly if it’s a long road ahead – is a task easier said than done.
So, to lend a hand, here are four useful resources to help support your team and foster a more inclusive company culture this pride month.
1. LGBT In Britain – Work Report | Stonewall
Understanding the nuances of being LGBTQ in the workplace – particularly if it’s not an experience aligned with your own – can be a tricky endeavour. Fortunately, Stonewall are here to help.
Stonewall is Europe’s largest LGBTQ rights organisation, and have been campaigning for better equality and diversity policies since 1989. Their LGBT In Britain Work Report not only outlines some of the key stats, but also dives into real employees’ experiences of discrimination and prejudice in the workplace. And, with a direct insight into the pitfalls and barriers of common policies, it makes for a useful aid in getting familiar with the current climate experienced by LGBTQ workers.
2. What Makes a Workplace Diversity Program Successful? | Greater Good
While diversity initiatives are put forward with the best of intentions, it’s important to acknowledge the potential downfalls.
Greater Good’s What Makes a Workplace Diversity Program Successful? article gives us a glance into the unintended consequences of diversity initiatives if not planned with full care. What are the potential shortcomings of well-meaning policies and practices, and how can you take care to make yours a success?
3. Understanding LGBTQ Employment Discrimination | New Economic Thinking
In this short interview, microeconomist Marina Gorsuch explores some of the most common biases against LGBTQ+ candidates within the recruitment and hiring space.
With a walkthrough of one of her own studies, Gorsuch takes a deep dive into how employers can approach recruitment more thoughtfully, more carefully, and with a more open mind, to create an equal opportunity hiring process within their organisation.
4. LGBT+ at Work Podcast Series | CIPD
Not all forms of discrimination are overt, and not all can be deterred by a simple policy change or staff training webinar.
CIPD’s podcast series highlights the importance of subtler, more easily overlooked, displays of allyship in the workplace. So whether it’s adjusting your language, becoming more conscious of microaggressions, or simply asking the right questions, the series makes for a useful tool in uncovering some of the less obvious ways in which HR can support LGBTQ+ employees.
The need for LGBTQ-inclusive practices, of course, extends far beyond the month of June. So in keeping educated – both on the current climate and the changes needed to improve – HR professionals can continue to champion and support a sustained focus on fostering a more LGBTQ-friendly workplace culture.
Chloe Turner
Graduating from the University of South Wales, Chloe is an experienced content marketing manager who's worked across the HR and legal business sectors.
