Canadian HR Reporter

WHEN DIVERSE WORKPLACES AREN'T INCLUSIVE ...CONTINUED Beyond Diversity points out that recruiting and hiring staff may need special training, too, with a particular focus on unconscious bias. Job postings, for example, may use gendered language or applicants might be discounted for wearing clothing not considered "gender appropriate." A candidate might be perceived poorly in a phone interview because their voice or way of speaking doesn't match cultural assumptions. Or a recruiter might not know how to handle conversations with references who aren't aware of a candidate's gender transition (and who knew them as another gender, with another name). Engage your resource groups An employee resource group (ERG) for LGBT-identifi ed workers can benefi t both its members and the organization as a whole. The group can provide a social network, offer a place to develop leadership skills, help foster new recruits and help acclimate onboarding employees. Managed effectively, these groups can also provide valuable direction for business development. "Using ERGs to really inform your practices, making that a two-way dialogue, can help you fi nd out from the members' perspectives what doesn't feel fair or inclusive about the workplace," said Grenier. ERGs can also help an organization identify the right spokespeople to help cascade a message to particular areas of the business. "If you're working in a unionized environment, for example, we're seeing much greater success when we pass on material to the actual union itself or the union reps," said Druhan. "In some organizations, there's a real hesitancy to take training that comes directly from HR, so sometimes it's about fi nding those people in the organization, at all levels, who can be champions for this type of work and can speak to people in a way that's going to make sense to them." Note Who Isn't Represented Within both the ERGs and the company as whole, HR should consider whether there's representation for all of the LGBT community. Research fi nds many organizations have made progress in terms of diversity and inclusion when it comes to sexual orientation, but often fall short when it comes to supporting employees with diverse gender identities and expressions. Statistics also show signifi cant unemployment and underemployment for trans Canadians, which can compound the problem. "If trans people are kept out of the workforce, they're not there to be champions on the issues that challenge them," said Druhan. He points out that organizations may need to look to external groups such as Pride at Work or local community groups to understand who's missing from internal representation and what challenges members of that absent community face. Beyond Diversity notes that while most people in and out of the workplace are accepting of gay, lesbian and bisexual people, the same can't be said for people undergoing gender transition – a population that continues to face discrimination, isolation and fear in the workplace. With that in mind, Beyond Diversity also encourages organizations to offer specifi c support for gender transition in the workplace. Intuit and TD Bank, for example, both offer complete or nearly complete coverage for employees' gender affi rmation surgery and many related expenses. Ask Questions, Take Measurements To move the needle, measurement is a must. "I'm a really strong proponent of data and data collection," said Grenier. "I think sometimes organizations are reluctant to collect data on this issue because they think, 'We don't want to get in trouble for asking this question or that question.'" However, she points out, it's perfectly legal to ask questions about sexual orientation or gender expression or identity, as long as an organization specifi cally states what that information will be used for and doesn't use that information against its employees. Legal fi rm Grant Thornton, for example, surveys employees annually to understand employee perceptions, to measure progress and to inform its inclusivity priorities. Inclusivity partners in each business unit share the results and help teams develop action plans that are locally relevant. Take It From The Top All the best-laid plans for measurement, training, policy, ERGs and more are still likely to fail without support from the top. "I feel this is the most important piece," said Grenier. "There absolutely needs to be buy-in at the most senior level of the organization." At TD Bank, for example, the company's Diversity Leadership Council meets bi-monthly to set priorities and monitor progress in all areas of diversity and inclusion. The group, made up of senior representatives for all locations and business lines, reports quarterly to the senior executive team. Buy-in from the top can be realized in many ways. Having LGBT leaders who are out can demonstrate an organizational commitment to inclusion and help with recruitment and retention. Encouraging LGBT employees to develop leadership skills though mentorship programs can help those employees feel more engaged and shape their goals for the future. Beyond Diversity notes an increasing number of organizations now look at the inclusiveness of individual leaders as part of their balanced scorecard review. This might assess whether a leader takes such steps as encouraging employees to take ongoing inclusion education or reviewing the demographics of pay and promotions within a team. If You Build It, Rewards Will Come "All the strategies we outline in the report are important pieces of the puzzle," said Grenier. "Not one of those steps all by itself will mean your organization is more inclusive, but if you put all these pieces together it's going to move you in that direction." Inclusive workplaces don't just happen, but it's work that brings plenty of rewards. "We know that inclusive workplaces are more innovative, that people stick around longer. We know that high trust workplaces – where all people feel they can bring their perspectives to the fold – are stronger fi nancial performers as well," said Grenier. "It makes good business sense, and it's also the right thing to do."

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