Category: Talent Acquisition Strategy

On June 26, 2015, the United State Supreme Court ruled in Obergefell v. Hodges that state-level bans on same-sex marriage were unconstitutional, ushering in marriage equality nationwide. However, despite the inroads made towards LGBTQ+ rights, many companies are still playing catch up when it comes to hiring, supporting and understanding the value of LGBTQ+ employees.

While there are legal protections in place to protect LGBTQ+ employers from discrimination in the workplace in many countries, in over half of the world, LGBTQ+ people are not protected from discrimination under workplace law. In a survey by the Center for American Progress (Cap) in 2022, half of LGBTQ+ and “sexual and gender diverse” people reported experiencing some form of workplace discrimination or harassment due to their sexual orientation or gender identity. This rocketed to 70% for transgender respondents. In the UK, 40% of LGBTQ+ workers and 55% of trans workers have experienced harassment, compared with 29% of heterosexual, cisgender employees.

These issues are not only troublesome for LGBTQ+ individuals in the workplace, but they are also bad for businesses. In this post, we outline the value of hiring and fostering a positive workplace environment for LGBTQ+ employees.

The Importance of Workplace Diversity

Today’s workforce has become increasingly diverse. Companies are more aware of the benefits of hiring talent from various backgrounds and the incredible contributions these employees bring to the workplace.

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A well-managed diverse workforce will both reduce costs and generate greater profit, with companies that employ a diverse workforce having 35 percent higher financial returns than national averages according to a McKinsey report on workplace diversity. This clearly illustrates the importance of diversity in the workplace not only for a company’s culture but also for its bottom line.

Diversity does not just mean including women and persons from diverse racial, ethnic and religious backgrounds; it also means that businesses can benefit from hiring LGBTQ+ employees and creating a supportive atmosphere for them to thrive.

Workplace Diversity: Benefits for LGBTQ+ Individuals

For starters, LGBTQ+ supportive policies will have an instant effect on individual employees, consequentially creating less workplace discrimination and improved comfort about being openly LGBTQ+ at work.

According to a survey conducted by the Williams Institute, The Business Impact of LGBT-Supportive Workplace Policies, LGBTQ+ employees who feel the need to hide their identity in the workplace often feel greater levels of stress and anxiety causing health issues and work-related complaints.

By creating an LGBTQ-friendly workplace, companies can reduce stress and improve the health of LGBTQ+ employees, increase job satisfaction and create more positive relationships with co-workers and supervisors.

Workplace Diversity: Benefits for Businesses

Following the individual benefits, organizational outcomes will also improve. Employers with LGBTQ-friendly workplaces will benefit from lower legal costs related to discrimination lawsuits as well as lower health insurance cost, through improved health of employees.

In fact, a study by Out Now Consulting, LGBT 2030 – LGBT Diversity Show Me the Business Case, states that the U.S. economy could save $9 billion annually if organizations were more effective at implementing diversity and inclusion policies for LGBTQ+ staff.

By recruiting LGBTQ+ candidates, companies will open up the talent pool to more potential hires, making finding the right talent for a company easier than if they ignored a large and talent-rich demographic.

How to Successfully Recruit LGBTQ+ Individuals

Learning how to recruit LGBTQ+ individuals is the first step in creating a more LGBTQ-friendly workplace. To recruit LGBTQ+ talent, businesses need to tailor their recruitment approach to meet the unique expectations LGBTQ+ individuals have when in a job search. Below are three ways to better recruit top LGBTQ+ talent.

Do Market Research

To better understand the unique concerns and needs of LGBTQ+ individuals, businesses need to identify positive factors that appeal to LGBTQ+ candidates along with the negative factors that repel them. A good way to identify positive and negative factors is by surveying current LGBTQ+ employees. If a company lacks a large enough sample size, they can acquire survey data from third parties or diversity consultants. Companies should take the data and insights gleaned from surveys and polls to craft LGBTQ-friendly messaging in job postings and recruiter communications, so the target audience feels comfortable considering employment with the organization.

Create an LGBTQ-Friendly Recruitment Process

To successfully recruit the best LGBTQ+ talent, companies need a comprehensive approach that includes tailored LGBTQ-friendly employer branding and diversity-oriented talent acquisition professionals experienced in assessing diverse candidates. Companies can also focus efforts on recruiting LGBTQ+ interns and offer them the opportunity to join the organization full-time after the internship is completed. By creating a more LGBTQ-friendly recruitment process, companies will ensure that LGBTQ+ individuals are more likely to accept offers of employment.

Employee Referrals

Employee referrals can be a strong LGBTQ+ recruitment source. Companies with employee referral programs should adopt a diversity-focused approach that includes LGBTQ+ candidates. Companies should publicize this focus to employees, letting them know that the company is actively searching for and encouraging the recruitment of LGBTQ+ candidates to fill positions.

Workplace Inclusion Programs for LGBTQ+ Individuals

Creating a diversity inclusion program is one way of helping LGBTQ+ employees and other diverse members of a company feel welcome and comfortable at work. A well-run inclusion program should support LGBTQ+ individuals in the workplace by offering workshops, training and support from both management and HR. The overall goal of inclusion is to make LGBTQ+ employees feel safe and like an integral part of a company.

Companies can also collaborate with outside LGBTQ+ organizations and charities and encourage both LGBTQ+ and non-LGBTQ+ employees to participate in events sponsored by these organizations. By aligning company values with those of LGBTQ+ organizations, companies can show their commitment not only to LGBTQ+ employees but also to supporting equality in the community as well.

Diversity and inclusion policies and programs can also save a significant amount of money spent on new talent recruitment and training by helping retain great talent. Furthermore, a more diverse and open workplace will increase creativity, which will lead to innovation and new ideas.

Conclusion

As the world becomes more accepting and understanding of the LGBTQ+ community, people expect businesses to do the same. Companies who work towards change to create a more acceptable and tolerant environment will gain the respect and loyalty of employees and the public-at-large. While there is still a lot of work ahead, there are a rising number of companies that understand that equality is good for business.

Only 5% of organizations say they’re succeeding with their DE&I initiatives. Download our free research report, Diversity & the Candidate Experience: Identifying Recruitment Pitfalls to Improve DE&I Outcomes, for insights into how to improve diversity recruitment outcomes.

Diversity and inclusion in the workplace is becoming more important as organizations look to create workplaces more reflective of current demographic trends. According to a survey conducted by McKinsey and Company, businesses with a diverse workforce are 35 percent more likely to have financial returns above industry medians. Organizations can also use diversity and inclusion programs to better meet compliance obligations and generate higher morale amongst employees. To create an effective diversity and inclusion program, companies should consider the following.

Benefits of Diversity and Inclusion Programs

Diversity and inclusion programs provide companies with the opportunity to tap into the strengths of their workforce.

According to a survey conducted by Glassdoor, 67 percent of job seekers said a diverse workforce is important when considering job offers and 57 percent of employees think their companies should be more diverse. This means that companies that implement a diversity and inclusion program are more likely to attract top talent.

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Embracing diversity and incorporating it into overall corporate culture has many benefits, such as introducing broader perspectives informed by the personal experiences of employees from various backgrounds into the workplace. Companies employing a diverse workforce also have a competitive advantage when it comes to hiring talent and attracting customers by embracing individuals from all walks of life.

Diversity and Inclusion Program Stakeholders

In order for a diversity and inclusion program to succeed, HR professionals need to secure buy-in from senior management. Obtaining buy-in requires HR professionals to outline how a diversity and inclusion program will help the company reach strategic goals, laying out the business case for the program.

Once buy-in is secured, roles and responsibilities will need to be assigned to diversity program stakeholders, so all parties involved understand their roles and what’s expected of them. For example, managers assigned the responsibility of assisting in a diversity and inclusion program rollout should be tasked with generating a dialog between themselves and employees to ensure a commitment to diversity is not only upheld by management but with non-management staff as well.

HR professionals may also want to create a diversity council or committee composed of employees from all levels. The committee or council’s duties should include defining program goals, promoting diversity and inclusion in the workplace and holding stakeholders accountable for outcomes. The employer should provide the committee with a clear mission, defined budget and expectations/performance goals.

In the absence of a diversity and inclusion committee, an employer can designate responsibility for the above tasks to management or consider hiring a diversity and inclusion specialist to run the program.

Diveristy Program Planning Begins With Conducting an Internal Census

The first step an organization should take in implementing a diversity and inclusion program is conducting an internal census to better understand the demographic make-up of the organization. To conduct a proper census, organizations should include information from all of the major federal and state protected groups including:

• Race
• Gender
• Religious affiliation
• Disability
• Sexual orientation
• Age
• Nationality

Beyond government protected classes, other demographic information collected should include:

• Education level
• Years of experience
• Family status
• Languages spoken

To collect information needed for an internal census, companies should refer to EEO data collected for compliance obligations. However, data pertaining to non-compliance demographics will require conducting surveys where employees will need to self-identify voluntarily.

Self-reporting may prove difficult, as employees may not feel comfortable sharing personal information. To successfully conduct the survey, organizations must clearly communicate that the information requested is to help create a diversity and inclusion program. This will engender trust and assuage suspicions from employees who may feel uncomfortable with the process.

Once the data from the internal census is collected, it should be compared to the data available on the labor market. Organizations should look for gaps in diversity and then draft a plan to hire more members of underrepresented demographics.

What Should a Diversity Training Program Include?

Once an internal census has been conducted and all relevant data collected, areas of concern and underrepresented demographics can be identified. To begin addressing diversity issues, companies should review demographics such as age, sex and ethnicity to see if each group is properly represented throughout the business. Organizations can begin by asking the following questions:

• Is management overrepresented by one demographic?
• Do certain departments have trouble hiring certain demographics?
• Are employees at one location less diverse than at others?

Organizations should also turn to employees to gain additional information on diversity and inclusion concerns and to learn employee attitudes on workplace culture.

Implement Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives

After areas of concern have been identified, companies should look to implement diversity and inclusion initiatives to address issues and to create a more comfortable working environment for all employees.

Examples of diversity and inclusion initiatives are changes in company policies and practices, staff training, targeted recruiting and employer-sponsored diversity and inclusion awareness events. The organization must develop an action plan to implement these initiatives by setting realistic goals and starting with the elements that have the greatest business value or that are readily achievable to build momentum for the initiative.

Organizations should approach managers and equip them with messages to inform, educate, engage or empower employees where appropriate. The communication plan should incorporate executive presentations, social media posts, internal newsletters, intranet and email communications. The organization should use metrics and success stories to connect the diversity and inclusion efforts to its own goals and strategic diversity plans.

Types of Diversity and Inclusion Programs

Diversity and inclusion programs need to reflect the demographics of a company to better serve employees. There are many types of diversity and inclusion programs that are designed to address the special considerations that arise in a diverse workplace. For example, if a company is looking to hire more women in management positions, creating an outreach program that seeks to scout top female talent and groom them for success in leadership positions can help achieve this goal. Companies can also implement targeted diversity initiatives for veterans, ethnic minorities, persons with disabilities and others.

Measure Diversity Programs Outcomes

To make sure that diversity and inclusion initiatives are having a positive impact, it is imperative for organizations to measure the results of the programs that have been implemented. Outcomes such as an increased representation of identified groups and improved employee satisfaction are two of the most important metrics to track. Other measurements, such as improved employee retention, public recognition and awards can also indicate how an organization is performing in its diversity and inclusion program.

Some efforts may seem intangible, but some measures can indicate the success levels of action items. If diversity training is implemented to increase retention, employee retention can be tracked over time, and employees can be surveyed to determine if the training was a factor, and how much so, in their continued employment.

The results of the initiatives should be communicated at all levels to demonstrate the return on investment and value-add to the organization. Communication tools can include infographics for senior leadership meetings, memos to staff and company videos for potential candidates.

The ability to manage a diversity and inclusion program will only become more important as workplace diversity continues to increase. Organizations that take to time to diversity plan and have created successful diversity programs will have a leg up when it comes to hiring talent and increasing company revenue.

According to a recent demographic analysis conducted by the Pew Research Center, by 2055, the U.S. will no longer have a single racial or ethnic majority. This shift towards a more diverse population will have major impacts on the workforce and how organizations address diversity in the workplace.

In the coming years, organizations that understand how to manage diversity in the workplace effectively will hold a distinct advantage when it comes to recruiting and hiring talent. This post outlines how organizations can best approach and manage diversity in the workplace with actionable tips and advice.

What is Diversity in the Workplace?

For an organization looking to cultivate a more diverse and inclusive workplace, it is important to understand what constitutes workplace diversity.

Workplace diversity refers to the variety of differences between individuals in an organization. Diversity not only includes how individuals identify themselves but also how others perceive them. Diversity within a workplace encompasses race, gender, ethnic groups, age, religion, sexual orientation, citizenship status, military service and mental and physical conditions, as well as other distinct differences between people.

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What are the Benefits of Diversity in the Workplace?

What are the benefits of diversity in the workplace? Well, there are many benefits to having a diverse workplace. Organizations that commit to recruiting a diverse workforce have a larger pool of applicants to choose from, which can lead to finding more qualified candidates and reducing the time it takes to fill vacant positions. Businesses that do not recruit from diverse talent pools run the risk of missing out on qualified candidates and may have a more difficult time filling key roles, which increases recruitment costs.

According to a survey conducted by Glassdoor, 67% of job seekers said a diverse workforce is important when considering job offers and 57% of employees think their companies should be more diverse. These numbers are telling. Not only can organizations fill positions with qualified candidates more quickly by recruiting from different talent pools, but a diverse workforce also benefits their employer brand which is crucial when it comes to getting the right talent.

Having a diverse workforce with multi-lingual employees and employees from varying ethnic backgrounds can also be helpful for organizations who want to expand or improve operations in international, national, regional and local markets.

More benefits to having diversity in the workplace:

• Employees from diverse backgrounds imbue organizations with creative new ideas and perspectives informed by their cultural experiences
• A diverse workplace will help organizations better understand target demographics and what moves them
• A diverse workplace can better align an organization’s culture with the demographic make-up of America
• Increased customer satisfaction by improving how employees interact with a more diverse clientele and public

Diverse Staffing: How to Manage Diversity in the Workplace

Managing diversity in the workplace presents a set of unique challenges for HR professionals. These challenges can be mitigated if an organization makes a concerted effort to encourage a more heterogeneous environment through promoting a culture of tolerance, open communication and creating conflict management strategies to address issues that may arise.

For leadership to effectively manage diversity in the workplace, they need to understand their backgrounds and how their behavior and beliefs can affect their decision-making within a diverse environment.

Tips for Managing Workplace Diversity

Prioritize communication

To manage a diverse workplace, organizations need to ensure that they effectively communicate with employees. Policies, procedures, safety rules and other important information should be designed to overcome language and cultural barriers by translating materials and using pictures and symbols whenever applicable.

Treat each employee as an individual

Avoid making assumptions about employees from different backgrounds. Instead, look at each employee as an individual and judge successes and failures on the individual’s merit rather than attributing actions to their background.

Encourage employees to work in diverse groups

Diverse work teams let employees get to know and value one another on an individual basis and can help break down preconceived notions and cultural misunderstandings.

Base standards on objective criteria

Set one standard of rules for all groups of employees regardless of background. Ensure that all employment actions, including discipline, follow this standardized criteria to make sure each employee is treated the same.

Be open-minded

Recognize, and encourage employees to recognize, that one’s own experience, background, and culture are not the only with value to the organization. Look for ways to incorporate a diverse range of perspectives and talents into efforts to achieve organizational goals.

Hiring

To build a diverse workplace, it is crucial to recruit and hire talent from a variety of backgrounds. This requires leadership and others who make hiring decisions to overcome bias in interviewing and assessing talent. If organizations can break through bias and hire the most qualified people, those with the right education, credentials, experience and skill sets, a diverse workplace should be the natural result.

Tips for hiring a diverse workforce:

• Incorporate a diverse interview panel to ensure candidates are chosen solely based on suitability for the position.
• Managers should be trained on what can and cannot be asked in an interview. For example, questions about an applicant’s personal life, such as which church they attend, their romantic life and political beliefs, are off-limits.
• Get creative when recruiting. For example, if an organization would like to hire more women in the engineering department, they could reach out to professional groups that cater to women in engineering and ask to advertise open positions in their newsletter or member communications.

Diversity Management: Policies and Practices

Organizations that embrace diversity also need to ensure that there are policies and practices in place to protect employees’ rights and stay compliant with government regulations.

It is essential for an organization to think about the impact that company policies and practices have on a diverse group of employees. Companies should create a way for employees to give feedback with surveys and suggestion boxes to gain a better understanding of how employees feel about diversity policies. Any feedback received, both positive and negative, is valuable. Companies need to be ready to adapt and change policies that may be interpreted as obstructions or not helpful for employees.

In addition to the written policies, it is also essential to ensure that the non-official “rules” of an organization are thoroughly explained to all employees to communicate company values and culture to all workers effectively.

Documentation of Policies and Procedures

Properly documenting diversity policies is an effective means of communicating an organization’s stances on diversity. Once concrete plans are ready to be implemented, documents that outline each policy should be included in the employee handbook. Diversity policies should be reviewed with every new hire, and when updates to policies are made, they should be shared with current employees as well.

Employee handbooks should cover diversity in the following sections:

• Code of conduct should outline the company’s policy toward diversity
• Non-discrimination policy lets employees know about diversity
• Compensation and benefits policy
• Employment conditions and termination

Zero-Tolerance Policy

Having a diverse workplace means that off-color jokes about ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation or religion need to be met with zero-tolerance enforcement. Slurs, name-calling and bullying employees for any reason has no place in today’s workplace. Policies should be put in place to handle misconduct and communicate to employees that this type of behavior will not be tolerated.

Organizations will also need to make sure employees feel safe reporting any instances of inappropriate behavior by co-workers by establishing a formal complaint policy,  so employees know how to report misconduct to the proper authority within an organization.

Sensitivity Training 

Employees need to be aware of how to coexist with a diverse range of people, as well as be cognizant of cultural sensitivity, to achieve harmony within a diverse workplace. Sensitivity training can help an organization manage diversity in the workplace by helping employees become more self-aware, which plays a vital role in helping employees understand their own cultural biases and prejudices.

Benefits of sensitivities training:

• Helps employees examine and adjust their perspectives about people from different backgrounds
• Employees can learn to better appreciate the views of others
• Shows employees what actions are offensive and why they are perceived as such
• Teaches employees how to calmly communicate that a co-worker has offended them and how to resolve the conflict properly
• Explains to employees how to apologize to a co-worker if they have indeed offended them unknowingly
• All employees should be included in sensitivity training; adding specific training for managers makes it even more impactful. Some companies also offer sensitivity training online.

Stay Abreast of Diversity Laws  

Managing diversity in the workplace means that businesses need to keep abreast of changing employer-related laws and trends, especially diversity-related changes. Organizations should regularly review internal policies, especially those around harassment and equal opportunity, and make sure they reflect the most current laws and regulations.

If an organization has an international or multi-state presence, it is necessary to track regional changes to laws and regulations as they vary from country to county and state to state.

Diversity law resources:

• Society of Human Resources Management
• Bloomberg BNA (Bureau of National Affairs)

The Importance of Diversity in the Workplace

Encouraging diversity is the way forward for organizations. In a global talent market, businesses that can successfully manage diversity in the workplace will have a definite competitive advantage over others in terms of differentiation, innovation and employer branding.