'One in five LGBT+ people still experience discrimination during recruitment or promotion processes, and 40 per cent feel their organisation’s policies and procedures are inadequate.'
In 2021, LGBTQ+ people continue to face discrimination and exclusion in the workplace. As a community, we often ignore or brush these things off, reluctant to “create a scene” – like many, I’ve been in that situation countless times in my career.about inclusion at work for LGBTQ+ people – the statistics make for tough reading.
As we reflect on the last year and celebrate Pride Month, it’s useful to consider how businesses can be more inclusive for their underrepresented communities in a way that goes beyond a tick box exercise, and promotes meaningful change.To better understand where we want to get to, we first need to know where we’re at on our journey. The best way to do this is to talk to your people, and gather data about their experiences.
Don’t be intimidated by the idea of finding the perfect vision – it should simply anchor a point in the future where meaningful progress has been made in whatever way is right for your business. A caveat here is that you should be mindful of approaching someone directly to be involved because they are part of any underrepresented community. This can make the individual feel like they are a “token” figure. Instead, put the call out to everyone, and see who’s passionate about making a difference in this space.