How employers can build LGBTQ inclusive workplaces

Even though Pride Month has ended, it’s important that the support and inclusivity of the LGBTQ community in the sector remains in full swing. The global development sector may seem like one of the most inherently accepting — with compassion and inclusivity as core values of its work — but there is still much to be done when it comes to LGBTQ inclusivity and equality in employment. Even when employers in the sector are onboard with such initiatives, members of the LGBTQ community may not be accepted in certain countries where projects are based. Devex spoke with equality and diversity experts in the field, to get their insights on how employers can build more LGBTQ inclusive global workplaces, and notably how to support those in the field. Diverse teams are good for business It’s been well-reported in recent years that more diverse teams yield better business results. And nowadays, the standard for diversity and inclusivity measures have moved beyond just compliance, said Richard Chapman-Harris, group equality, diversity, and inclusion manager at Mott MacDonald. If organizations aren’t attracting LGBTQ professionals, then they’re missing out on up to 10 percent of the population, he explained. Abigail Jones, transgender herself and currently undertaking a PhD in global health at Trident University International, reinforced this: “Ultimately it’s about picking the best people for the job and making sure that you don’t exclude a certain group and overlook that talent — because we are talented.” If an organization isn’t supportive of LGBTQ staff, making them feel uncomfortable or unequal, then either LGBTQ staff won’t stay with the organization for long — increasing the costs of turnover and training — or even if they do, they won’t thrive. As Chapman-Harris explained, “as an out-gay man in the business, I can be myself 100 percent which means that I’m not exhausting any cognitive capacity on not being out.” “By feeling more included, people can work more naturally … which means that you are more productive,” he said. Clearly, LGBTQ inclusivity efforts — along with all others forms of diversity inclusion — are key to building a better work environment. Here, we provide the key takeaway tips for employers on how to become more LGBTQ inclusive, according to our experts. 1. Know your starting point When working out what steps to take to strengthen diversity in an organization, the first is to understand the current situation. In order to gauge diversity and inclusion, an audit or assessment is strongly advisable. “Know where you’re starting from,” advised Francesca Molinaro, corporate diversity and inclusion director at Chemonics. An audit or survey gives you, “a baseline of quantitative and qualitative information, from where to move forward,” she said. And from there, “we can really put in place a strategy that is, not only aspirational, but meaningful for us as an organization.” In 2015, Mott MacDonald ran a survey as well as anonymous online focus groups to discuss various equality and diversity issues including gender, race, disability, and LGBTQ. Analyzing such results was a way to, “try to make sure our [diversity] efforts are data-driven and intelligence-led,” explained Chapman-Harris. The intention and outcome “was very much listening to our staff [and] hearing what they have to say.” Assessments can be conducted internally or overseen by a consultant. Chemonics used the Intercultural Development Inventory tool to assess their diversity situation and to provide guidance. Similarly, The Stonewall Diversity Champions program offers organizations a diversity initiative framework to follow. 2. Create channels for open conversations Organizations should initiate conversations with employees, to understand how they are feeling, create an open culture, and explore what could be done to improve inclusivity. Diversity efforts at Mott MacDonald were instigated by a project stemming from the employees, explained Chapman-Harris. “One of the key points … is for organizations to really explore the opportunities presented by employee networks … [and] leverage that positivity and that passion from staff in order to be more strategic about their EDI [equality, diversity, and inclusion] efforts,” he said. Mott MacDonald also formed a Yammer platform and SharePoint site for employees to share articles on the topic and communicate openly. Similarly, Chemonics’ Molinaro said that employee resource groups are very beneficial for sharing information, both from the top-down and the bottom-up. “When implemented and used effectively, they [employee resource groups] can provide information to management that management might not be aware of … but also, they can serve as a lifeline for employees: A safe place where employees can go and talk about what they’re experiencing” and to know they will be supported, she said. 3. Invest time in education Jones advocated that employers learn about all aspects of the LGBTQ community, including understanding the differences between subgroups. “They [employers] can educate themselves on what it means to be transgender,” she said. Often, prejudice stems from “a fear of the unknown,” Jones explained. “By feeling more included, people can work more naturally … which means that you are more productive.” --— Richard Chapman-Harris, group equality, diversity, and inclusion manager at Mott MacDonald Employers need to make a concerted effort to understand the LGBTQ community, and it goes without saying that they are no different in talent and skill than the rest of the population. “We’re different within ourselves … we are everything that a standard population is, we’re just smaller,” Jones said. Reading articles is one great way to develop an understanding, but the best thing is to simply talk to people in the LGBTQ community, Jones recommended. “Start talking to the people who you want to know about, instead of talking about them,” she expressed. “Don’t limit yourselves by excluding a group of people because you don’t know about them,” she said. You could be losing out on “excellent talent.” Stonewall has a bank of resources to aid employers with their diversity efforts as well as a Diversity Champions employers’ program. Organizations can sign up and receive guidance to ensure the inclusion and acceptance of LGBTQ staff. 4. Training alone isn’t enough Molinaro advocates all forms of diversity initiatives — including training and mentoring — and also highlighted Frank Dobbin’s argument that, “training in and of itself, doesn’t work.” “There isn’t a ‘cookie-cutter’ approach,” to diversity efforts, she argued. “There are a lot of organizations that fall back on training as a default — and training can work and does work — but there has to be a purpose and it needs to be tied to an outcome,” she said. For example, unconscious-bias training has been gaining popularity, Molinaro noted. However, training needs to be tied to a specific problem or issue within an organization — such as unconscious bias specifically in recruitment — to be understood and resolved. “I don’t think training is the silver bullet. For me, it’s very much a multi-pronged approach, depending on what it is you want to tackle,” said Molinaro. It’s important to identify specific goals to tackle and work out the best approach from there. 5. Have a diversity leader In theory, the goal is for equality and diversity efforts to be embedded in all processes and practices throughout an organization, and therefore dedicated diversity managers would become a redundant role, Chapman-Harris pointed out. “To get to that point requires a lot of support and expertise,” he added. Before that can become a reality, diversity leaders are key to moving organizations forward and implementing initiatives. “Like most things in organizations, unless you have someone who is paying attention to it [inclusion], it can get lost. And it doesn’t mean it gets lost because people don’t care about it, it gets lost because you focus on your day-to-day deliverables,” Molinaro said. However, it’s also important that it’s not just “one person does everything and no one else really bothers with it,” Chapman-Harris noted, these efforts are not a “one person army.” Mott MacDonald supports members of staff who take on inclusivity and diversity responsibilities in addition to their usual roles. Specifically, to devote to diversity efforts, staff are given “half a day of time — in budget and code — each month, so they’re not doing above and beyond their day job,” Chapman-Harris explained. It’s crucial these leadership roles are not just a “tokenistic appointment,” Chapman-Harris warned, which “doesn't have much influence on strategy and culture, or doesn’t have engagement with senior leadership.” 6. Walk the talk: Create an action plan Stating a commitment to diversity and inclusivity is one thing, but actually implementing it requires a lot of time and effort. Efforts should be continuously acted upon and improved — rather than simply thought up and left — which is an important part of the diversity leader’s role, Molinaro said. Mott MacDonald has three equality, diversity, and inclusivity goals for the various stages of employment: Attraction and recruitment, retention and engagement, and development and progression. Specific diversity initiatives can then be planned and targeted according to each stage. For example, with retention and engagement, Mott MacDonald asks, “are we losing LGBT talent at certain levels? Or why does representation of LGBTQ staff drop off at senior levels?” and then uses the metrics from equality, diversity, and inclusivity surveys to work out what needs to be addressed. From the initial read of the situation — the first step recommended here — specific goals can be formed. There is no one-size-fits-all with inclusivity efforts and plans need to be tailored to meet the specific needs of the situation or organization. Molinaro advocated for a “multi-pronged approach, depending on what it is you want to tackle.” “What’s fundamentally important for organizations, is to not deny someone an opportunity based on their sexual orientation.” --— Francesca Molinaro, corporate diversity and inclusion director at Chemonics 7. Deploying to countries with anti-LGBTQ legislation Both experts recognize that this is a very complicated issue and there’s no simple right or wrong way to go about it. However, there are some key steps organizations can take and it’s crucial to openly discuss the options and possibilities with staff members. The first thing Chapman-Harris and Molinaro advised, is that employers do not immediately exclude LGBTQ staff from projects in certain countries without consulting them first. “What’s fundamentally important for organizations, is to not deny someone an opportunity based on their sexual orientation,” Molinaro stated. “And if someone cannot take on an assignment because it’s just not safe for them, then it shouldn’t impact their career either.” To a large extent, it’s up to the individual to decide whether they feel comfortable working in certain countries — or not. “There are some countries that have laws in the books, but in practice may not enforce them. You have other countries where laws may not be as severe, but yet the context is one of extreme intolerance all the way to violence,” Molinaro explained. “So you have to look at each situation individually.” However, any risk to the staff member also has to be considered very seriously as part of the employers’ duty of care and risk assessment. “Equally, if we know that there are quite high rates of anti-LGBT sentiment and hate crime and violence, that should then obviously be factored into the risk assessment,” Chapman-Harris said. 8. Reverse mentoring programs Even though Mott MacDonald are actively adopting diversity initiatives, the majority of senior managers are currently white and male, Chapman-Harris said. In order to gain another perspective, a reverse mentoring program has been implemented, whereby a senior manager is paired with a minority junior grade staff member — whether with a minority ethnic background, disability, openly LGBTQ, or all three. The program is designed for both the junior staff members to benefit from the standard mentoring model, but also for the hiring managers to gain an insight and understanding of work life for minority staff. From this insight, senior staff can consider and integrate that information into their management practices that ensure inclusivity. “It’s providing a safe space for people to learn,” he said. All individuals who took part provided feedback saying that they would recommend it to colleagues. 9. Showcase your efforts In order to attract potential employees, diversity efforts need to be clear and outwardly known. When applying to a job, job seekers need to see themselves fitting in with the company, otherwise, they simply may not apply. Employers need to show who they are and what they stand for if they are to attract the candidates they want. This involves thinking about the images used on recruitment sites, day-to-day messaging, employee resource groups, or sharing the experiences of current LGBTQ employees, Molinaro said. 10. Inclusivity efforts involve everyone Inclusivity means involving everyone — and everyone is responsible for enabling these efforts. “You can engage people across the board, whether or not they personally identify,” Molinaro advocated. “Ally campaigns” let LGBTQ employees know they have colleagues they can turn to for support and demonstrates a safe and inclusive work environment. It’s clear there are multiple initiatives employers can take to build more inclusive work environments, but it’s important to first gauge where your organization stands and work out the most appropriate actions for your specific needs from there.