It’s June and we are in the midst of Pride month. As the world awakens to the immense value of diversity, inclusive recruitment has emerged as a powerhouse strategy, opening doors to a vast and vibrant pool of exceptional candidates.
One key aspect of fostering inclusivity in your workplace is ensuring that your recruitment process is LGBTQ+ friendly. By seeking and retaining LGBTQ+ talent, organisations can enhance their culture, improve engagement and drive better performance.
In over seven years of business, we have never once come across a business unwilling to comply with the law or who has asked us to exclude a candidate based on their LGBTQ+ identity. This blog will explore the importance of LGBTQ+ inclusion in the recruitment process and share insights and strategies for creating LGBTQ+ inclusive environments.
Understanding LGBTQ+ Diversity
A solid understanding of key concepts and terms related to LGBTQ+ diversity is integral to any inclusive recruitment process. Sexual orientation refers to a person's emotional, romantic, and/or sexual attraction to others. Gender identity refers to an individual's deeply-felt sense of their own gender, which may or may not align with the sex assigned at birth. Gender expression relates to the way individuals present their gender identity to others through behaviour, clothing, and other personal choices.
Beyond the key terms, it is essential for recruiters and hiring managers to educate themselves about LGBTQ+ issues. LGBTQ+ individuals can face unique challenges and barriers in the workplace and the hiring process. They often encounter discrimination, bias, and a profound lack of understanding.
Demonstrating awareness and empathy for these issues is integral to creating an inclusive environment that celebrates everyone.
Auditing Your Recruitment Process
Auditing allows organisations to evaluate their current practices and identify potential areas of improvement. A checklist or framework, and working with charities such as Stonewall, can help assess whether LGBTQ+ candidates are being unintentionally excluded and can even uncover possible pitfalls and biases within your recruitment process.
Creating an LGBTQ+ Inclusive Job Posting
Job postings and advertisements play a crucial role in attracting diverse candidates.
Gender-neutral and inclusive language as well as avoiding discriminatory terms can signal to potential employees your commitment to diversity and inclusion. At Marmion, we can help with the design of your job adverts, making sure you attract the right candidates and reflect the core values of your business.
Removing Biases from Screening & Interviewing
Organisations should be aware of and implement strategies to mitigate unconscious bias during resume screening and candidate evaluation. Training recruiters and hiring managers on unconscious bias is crucial.
Conducting interviews inclusively and respectfully, whilst avoiding invasive or irrelevant questions, is vital. The simple act of ensuring that the panel is representative can be transformative for uncovering and challenging unconscious bias.
LGBTQ+ Inclusive Policies & Benefits
Inclusive policies and benefits are essential for attracting and retaining LGBTQ+ talent as well as creating diverse workplaces. Gender-neutral toilets, healthcare coverage that includes LGBTQ+-specific needs, and inclusive parental leave policies are examples of LGBTQ+ inclusive benefits.
Inclusive Training & Education for Recruiters
Training recruiters and hiring managers on LGBTQ+ inclusivity is vital. This education enhances their understanding of LGBTQ+ issues, helps them recognise and address biases, and fosters cultural competence and sensitivity. Utilising external resources and training programmes can provide valuable insights and guidance in this area.
Organisations can also consider outsourcing their recruitment process or partnering with a recruitment agency that specialises in inclusive recruitment. These agencies bring expertise, resources, and networks to attract diverse talent, ensuring an LGBTQ+-friendly recruitment process.
Organisations can attract and retain diverse talent by:
- Understanding LGBTQ+ diversity
- Auditing recruitment processes
- Using inclusive language
- Removing biases from screening and interviewing
- Implementing inclusive policies and benefits
- Providing training and education to recruiters
LGBTQ+-friendly hiring practices lead to a more vibrant and innovative workforce. At Marmion, we support these efforts through our services, recognising the importance of fostering truly LGBTQ+ inclusive recruitment processes.
Find out more about how we can support your recruitment needs and get in touch with the team at Marmion.
