It is 2019. In the U.S., same-sex marriage is legal, and members of the #LGBTQ community find it relatively easier to be open about their sexual orientation and gender identity. In India, homosexuality was decriminalized last year, and the LGBTQIA community feels a little safer openly declaring its preferences.
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#Diversity has a wider spectrum now – it includes people of varied genders and ethnicities. Such expansive diversity demands new technology for unbiased #hiring and an equally comprehensive #inclusion program in the #workplace. Here are three ways you can make your organization #LGBTQIAfriendly.
1. Use the power of data to hire and identify problems in the workplace
We spoke to Rachel Ernst, Vice President of Employee Success at Reflektive, a people management platform. She shares with us her experience in spearheading the #LGBTQIA hiring and inclusion movement at her organization.
“You can’t fix a problem you don’t know exists. Data is the ideal first step for companies to understand gaps in D&I efforts,” asserts Ernst. Using data derived from a people analytics solution can reveal how diverse your employee pool is. If you would like to improve the figures, you can use this data to revamp your diversity and inclusion efforts.
“By evaluating sourcing data, you can pinpoint diversity gaps in your hiring processes or uneven gender/cultural breakdowns. Compensation analysis helps you determine pay equity discrepancies. People analytics can also help identify potential rater, gender and ethnicity biases in performance reviews,” adds Ernst.
2. Revamp your company culture to ensure positive inclusion
We haven’t said this enough so we will say it again: an #inclusiveworkplaceculture is established by the leaders of the organization. If you aim to increase your diversity hiring to include more #LGBTQIAemployees, begin first by hiring for cultural fit. Merely diversity hiring practices are not enough. The people who make up an organization define its culture and inclusion practices.
For people who are already part of your organization, here are a few ways you can improve your company culture to be more inclusive.
A. Implement #diversitytraining initiatives: Classroom sessions with a professional talking about diversity may help. But the most effective way would be to put your employees in the thick of the situation by using technology such as virtual reality for diversity training.
B. Use the power of microlearning programs delivered through mobile devices: Microlearning delivered via mobile-learning can be used for professional development. This methodology can also be used to deliver daily lessons on how to interact with your LGBTQ colleagues in the workplace, and how you can be more mindful about the way you speak around them. Any Learning & Development (L&D) platform you use can be customized to include a module on diversity training.
C. Run regular engagement surveys to stay apprised of issues your employees may be facing: Ernst offers an example of the survey metrics they measured to ensure the comfort of their employees at Reflektive. “To find areas of improvement in our culture …, we ran a company-wide engagement survey.
3. Create a safe space for your LGBTQ colleagues to interact
Both online and offline, create a space where your LGBTQIA employees find it safe to talk about their experiences at work. Only when they feel heard will they be able to thrive in the workplace.
At Reflektive, a unique measure was taken to do this, says Ernst. “As a way to ensure inclusion at Reflektive and honor the different experiences of our people, we recently implemented employee resource groups. Our goal was to establish a safe place for employees to come together based on shared characteristics or life experiences. One of our first groups, where we identified the most need, was ‘LGBTQ.’ Our hope is that as we grow, employees feel confident that there’s always a place for them at the company.”
What inclusion initiatives are you taking in your organization for LGBTQ employees this Pride Month? Tell us on Facebook, LinkedIn, or Twitter and let’s have a chat about your measures and challenges!
