Industry leaders say corporates are laying stress on attracting, hiring, and retaining this talent segment not only because inclusion is a milestone to be achieved but also because the diverse perspectives this segment brings goes on to create more room for innovation and growth.
"Conventional wisdom suggests that the academic setting is a ‘good place’ to be lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer (LGBTQ+), as it is frequently portrayed as a space where personal identity is irrelevant to the learning," said Rebecca Minor
Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) practices have undergone many transformations over the years. However, there is more to an inclusive work environment than just goodwill or absence of harassment, says Sudish Panicker, Managing Director and Head, BNY Mellon Operations, India.
Acknowledging that the LGBTQ+ community continues to face discrimination because of how they identify or who they love - even today, Shameka Young, VP and Global Head of Diversity & Inclusion (D&I), Cognizant, says it’s critical that organisations continue the conversation beyond adding rainbows to their company logos or participating in pride parades every June.
Knowing that your colleagues publicly support your right to identity offers a safe zone for employees to be their most authentic selves, says Jyothi Menon, Head India Human Resources and Head HR Service Delivery at UBS-Business Solution Centers (BSC).
Sarika Naik, Chief Marketing Officer & Chairperson, Diversity of Capgemini India, shared some right ways to make a workplace inclusive to all genders. In this episode of People Matters Podcast, she noted that even using the right words is crucial to make LGBT employees feel comfortable in their skins.
Niccolo Nitti, Country People & Organisation Head, Novartis India, talks about empowering LGBTQI+ employees to be out and vocal, moving beyond tokenistic queer-friendly branding, and the criticality of having LGBTQI+ representation at the leadership level.