LGBT History month: Tackling bias in the workplace

Use the phrase ‘unconscious bias’ in a workplace setting and other areas of hiring discrimination may well come to mind before you consider the impact on the LGBT+ community.

But, as we come to the end of LGBT+ History month in the UK, this side of the conversation as the views of lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and non binary employees have been escalated to a national – and international – stage.

And the statistics speak for themselves.

A recent study at campaigning charity Stonewall found that one in ten LGBT employees felt they missed a promotion in the past year alone because of bias.

Consider then the fact 46% of LGBT+ workers do not share their sexual orientation at work due to not feeling comfortable, and you start to understand how much discrimination and the fear of discrimination remains a powerful inhibitor for LGBT+ colleagues.

Building a culture of allies

So, how can HR leaders be allies in the truest sense of the word and build a culture that works for everyone no matter of sexual or gender orientation?

Katie Budd, head of indices and resources at campaigning charity Stonewall, believes listening is the first step in ensuring equal opportunities and thinks LGBT+ mentorship schemes can help develop the full potential of a diverse workforce.

She said:

Inclusion isn’t a one-size-fits-all tick-box exercise but there are many ways that employers can show up for their LGBTQ+ staff.

“An employer’s inclusion journey often starts with listening to the needs of their lesbian, gay, bi, trans and queer employees to understand the challenges they face at work.

“It can be helpful to create safe spaces, such as a network group, for LGBTQ+ staff to meet, discuss problems and escalate those to senior leaders – who should listen and implement changes.”

But listening is only the first step in a process that requires buy-in across the business – starting with a strong policy-led programme that supports equal advancement and development opportunities.

She said:

Creating a mentorship scheme for LGBTQ+ staff can be a great way to actively support staff with their development journey and goals.

“Both individuals and employers can also guard against bias by participating in diversity and inclusion training and reflecting on their own personal prejudices that may influence their decision-making at work.

“We all perform better when we feel comfortable being ourselves so it’s vital that organisations make clear that their LGBTQ+ staff are welcomed, supported and free to thrive as themselves in all arenas.”

The ‘lavender ceiling’

But there remains a long way to go. In a nod to the ‘glass ceiling’ that women need to break through to get to the top, a newly-coined ‘lavender ceiling’ refers to the barrier LGBT+ employees face in their career prospects, as well as the limited diversity at the upper echelons of an organisation.

According to new data, there are 10 LGBT+ directors on the Fortune 500 companies list, representing only 0.03% of CEO’s on the list who are openly part of the LGBT+ community.

Change is happening, however, and some businesses are taking on the mantel with creativity and flair, seeing it as a cornerstone of their organisational wellbeing – something that starts with a growth mindset, particularly in the leadership teams.

Amazon UK, for example, has created a specific employee resource for the LGBT+ community called ‘Glamazon‘ which hosts a range of events and opportunities to shape a constructive and positive narrative that helps break down bias.

Ceysa McKechnie, diversity, equity and inclusion programme lead at Amazon UK, believes that special training to deconstruct bias and specific policy is key to support LGBT+ employees, she said:

One of the key contributors to any ceiling, glass, lavender or otherwise, is bias.

“Educating employees, especially leaders, about how bias impacts decision making, helping them understand what it is, how to spot it, and how to counteract it, is the first step.

“All of our employees engage in unconscious bias training, and can participate in many other trainings, discussions, and learning opportunities around inclusive best practices, unconscious bias, and stereotyping.

“We have implemented a program which helps our leaders identify and counteract bias in the talent review process. This lets us have frank, honest discussions about biases that may be impacting employees and take action where necessary to ensure employees are assessed fairly and equitably.”

Of course, the issues around diversity and inclusion remain a major challenge across all areas of discrimination with companies as 40% of UK senior leaders admit to not making it a top priority. 

The latest Eurobarometer survey revealed that 19% of LGBT+ workers had suffered verbal bullying at work in the UK, by colleagues and customers, based on their sexual orientation.

The business case for inclusivity

But while these figures make for terrible reading, in the business world change seems slow to manifest. So, how can this be measured and make sense from a financial and productivity perspective? In other words – what’s in it for the employer?

International education technology company Degreed, has made significant strides in not just implementing change programmes but also measuring their success.

Susie Lee, global business transformation & DIB executive officer at Degreed, said:

Our Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging (DIB) program team set about driving change through a top and bottoms-up strategy, with a particular focus on culture and belonging.

“Addressing issues surrounding race, gender, LGBTQ+, as well as mental health and wellbeing, our approach enables all employees to have an influence on the workforce culture by giving feedback on their lived experiences, educate their colleagues, and become allies.

“Actionable skills data is also an important way we ensure we offer unbiased career opportunities, as it gives a tangible and unprejudiced way to build the foundations for an inclusive organisation — one skill at a time.

“This can be the catalyst that will finally drive change. And what’s really exciting is the actionability not just for HR, but across the entire business and for all job levels.

“It’s only through making DEIB part of holistic business operations that true systemic change will occur.”

Susie continued:

Boosting the DEIB of your workforce isn’t just the right thing to do, but can also have positive effects on employee satisfaction, retention, meeting business goals and customer satisfaction.

“According to a report from RedThread Research, organisations that foster greater diversity are 81% more likely to have higher customer satisfaction, twice as likely to indicate they have met business goal.

“Employees are twice as likely to give their employer a positive promoter score and 45% more likely to remain at their organisation. So, there’s a clear business case for improving diversity.

“Early results show females in leadership roles, in our company, improved from 25% to 42% in the year post-launch. Furthermore, among new hires, gender balance has risen as high as 53.5% and diverse ethnic/racial groups now number over 34%.”

 The LGBT+ History month spans from February 1^st until February 27^th in the UK.