Just two in five (40%) LGBTQ+ workers in the UK feel comfortable enough to express and celebrate their identity at work. As the hiring crisis in the UK continues, it is of utmost importance to provide safe working conditions where anyone can feel comfortable. In addition to recruitment, 39% of people who identify as LGBTQ+ would not look for a new job if they feel they had the ability to bring their authentic selves to work. With increased inclusivity and education on the LGBTQ+, it brings increased retention of workers and a higher chance to hire workers. Still now, one in five LGBTQ+ people still experienced discrimination during recruitment or the promotion process and 40% felt their organisation’s policies and procedures were inadequate. Shockingly, one in ten had been outed by colleagues without their consent. While times may still not look the best, with increased inclusivity, comes benefits for companies.

With pride month taking place, it is of greatest significance to have the knowledge to fully accommodate any LGBTQ+ worker in the workplace. More than a third of LGBTQ+ identifying employees feel as if all positive communications and discussions about their community do not extend past pride month which also extends to the fact that more than a fifth of non-LGBTQ+ employees feel as if they are not equipped with the proper knowledge to be an ally in the workplace. 

Many people believe that to be inclusive and enough to be supportive of the LGBTQ+ community, big changes need to be made. Research highlights that LGBTQ+ workers consider small actions to have a significant impact. 60% of LGBTQ+ workers said putting pronouns on zoom or email signatures helped improve the workplace experience. This small action hasn’t been integrated into all companies because only a third of non-LGBTQ+ employees thought this showed allyship. This discrepancy exists in other small actions that can be taken. When companies use gender-neutral greetings, 60% of LGBTQ+ workers felt this helped their experience while only 40% of non-identifying employees felt it was helpful. Sharing messages of support on social media (pride month posts, employee appreciation, etc.) was supported by 59% of LGBTQ+ employees but only 39% of the non-identifying employees thought it would help.

When it comes to hiring potential employees, the recruitment rate will increase/decrease based on whether a company has clear and direct year-round diversity and inclusion policies. One in five UK workers say they would not work at a company that does not address or support LGBTQ+ employees. This figure doubles to 39% amongst the LGBTQ+ community. Some policies or practices put into place to support the LGBTQ+ community would be to not assume gender or sexuality in everyday conversations (67% supported by LGBTQ+ employees), LGBTQ+ competency training to teach allyship strategies around gender identity (65%), and LGBTQ+ resource groups to foster colleagues’ support (63%).

Drafting and creating these practices should mainly include the voices of those inside the community. Those outside of the LGBTQ+ community considered every method of support to be less effective than those within the community. For example, self-education about gender identity, sexuality, and bias was said to be the most effective way to show allyship at work from 68% LGBTQ+ employees while non-LGBTQ+ employees found it to be 55% effective. The second most effective method was inviting people to speak and share their experiences which were found to be 67% effective among LGBTQ+ employees. From non-LGBTQ+ employees, it was found that one in 10 thought this method would be completely ineffective and only 54% said it would be helpful in showing allyship.  

Jacob Little, Senior Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and a member of Glassdoor’s PRIDE ERG said: “In today’s highly competitive job market, a diverse and inclusive workplace is not only a core expectation of top talent – it’s also a driver of innovation, performance, and creativity. Glassdoor’s research shows that employees who feel they can be authentic at work are less likely to look for another role. In addition, companies that foster genuine cultures of inclusion and belonging report better decision making and lower attrition.”

“There are many ways people can better support LGBTQ+ identifying colleagues at work, whether that’s taking the time to learn about the experiences of people different from them, discussing gender identity and sexuality in the workplace, creating space for people to talk about their lived experiences, or signals as simple as sharing pronouns on Zoom and email signatures. Even the smallest of actions can have a meaningful impact on the workplace experience of underrepresented groups.”