You may have noticed us sharing polls across our network recently around LGBTQ+ recruitment practices... and our results are now in! With insights analysed from over 1430 LinkedIn users, we're excited to bring you a benchmarking guide alongside resources to help support the LGBTQ+ community in the workplace. 

44% believe that providing inclusive healthcare benefits is the most important factor to making an organistation more attractive to LGBTQ+ candidates.  

This means offering medical and wellness services that meet the unique needs of LGBTQ+ individuals. This doesn’t just mean providing non-discriminatory access to things like maternity, paternity or adoption leave, which by law is a minimum. It means providing access to care which caters for every individual. This could be anything from tapping into training networks to ensure respectful communication, offering sexual and reproductive health services tailored to LGBTQ+ needs, or access to gender-affirming care. 26% of our network believed that providing support for transitioning employees was the most important factor, further emphasising the critical role healthcare inclusivity plays in making an organisation more appealing to LGBTQ+ candidates. We also received comments and questions around the need for separate benefits, opening the conversation around equity vs equality, and how standard employee benefits can overlook the needs of LGBTQ+ employees. 

More than a third of LGBTQ+ candidates looking for work are worried about being discriminated against due to their sexual orientation or gender identity. Outwardly showing your support through the inclusivity of your company benefits can help alleviate concerns around being accepted in the workplace as well as show your allyship towards the LGBTQ+ community. 

75% of our network do not work in companies that have specific initiatives to recruit LGBTQ+ talent. 

Even though our network agrees that factors like healthcare benefits and supporting transitioning employees should be high on the agenda, approximately 150 of 200 votes admitted that their organisations do not have specific initiatives to attract LGBTQ+ talent. This proves that some businesses have a long way to go towards championing allyship. We also received comments on this poll reflecting different perspectives, such as “Isn’t this discriminatory?”, in reference to businesses having initiatives specifically to recruit LGBTQ+ talent. This is a common misconception and draws back to the theme of equity over equality. Equality refers to individuals or groups having the same rights. Equity, however, recognises that each person is different and therefore needs specific treatment to reach an equal outcome. 

Another comment we received on the poll was, “Leave your personal life at home”. Again, this is a misconception and to create a true sense of belonging at work, employees need to be able to bring their full selves to work and feel accepted. 

13% answered that their businesses had multiple initiatives to attract LGBTQ+ candidates, which seems low. However, it would be interesting to see if this figure increases year on year (stay tuned), as LGBTQ+ allyship becomes increasingly higher on the agenda for businesses looking to elevate their work culture. 

Listening is the best way to support LGBTQ+ coworkers 

On allyship, we asked our network, “How have you supported your LGBTQ+ coworkers?” The most popular form of support was “listening actively.” Active listening is a crucial communication skill in which the listener must be acutely aware of the speaker's needs and underlying messages before providing feedback, rather than passing judgment or simply listening to intervene. It sounds simple, but it’s difficult to master, and the poll responses show an understanding that listening is key when building an environment of belonging for the LGBTQ+ community in the workplace. If you're curious about how to improve active listening skills at work, Mit Human Resources provides Key Tips for Active Listening. 

30% of our network said “inclusive language” was the most important way to support LGBTQ+ employees, whilst 26% answered, “challenge discrimination”. In a constantly changing world, using inclusive language and challenging discrimination helps build an environment of respect and acceptance. Academy To Innovate HR offers practical tips on how to use inclusive language: A Guide to Using LGBTQ Inclusive Language in the Workplace. A Great Place to Work also provide simple and effective tips to challenging discrimination in the workplace: 5 Powerful Ways to Support LGBTQ+ Employees in the Workplace. 

Bridging the gap 

The data reveals some crucial insights, but largely that most businesses lack specific LGBTQ+ initiatives, despite the fact there is growing recognition from candidates of their importance. To bridge this gap, companies should: 

• Implement inclusive hiring practices: Use gender-neutral language, diverse interview panels, and create a welcoming recruitment environment 
• Use blind CV screening: Remove identifying information from resumes to reduce bias and focus on skills and qualifications 
• Provide training on unconscious bias: Unconscious bias is associations we hold outside our conscious awareness and control. Educate hiring managers on recognising and mitigating unconscious biases that affect decision-making 
• Create support networks and resources: Establish employee resource groups (ERGs) and offer mentorship and inclusive health benefits 
• Demonstrate allyship: Partner with LGBTQ+ organisations to reach a wider pool of diverse candidates, participate in Pride events, and support LGBTQ+ charities 
• Measure progress in recruiting and retaining LGBTQ+ candidates with specific KPIs. 

By implementing these strategies, companies can create a more inclusive and supportive environment, attracting and retaining diverse LGBTQ+ candidates. If we were to give you one key takeaway, it would be to keep the conversation going. Talk to employees, talk to candidates, and continue to champion allyship.