As Pride Month begins, it’s the perfect time to review your company’s progress in making inclusiveness and equality a reality. Although we are now focusing on LGBTQ individuals, these principles apply to any marginalized groups, such as people of color.
What is allyship?
This current buzzword means acknowledging that certain majority groups receive unfair advantages in their careers and workplaces, and efforting to dismantle those privileges so that benefits and opportunities are provided for all employees equally.
How can you implement an allyship program at your business? The following actionable steps will help you bring about real, lasting change in your systems, processes and corporate culture.
1: Become aware of internal issues.
This will take time, honest self-evaluation, and input from employees who feel discriminated against. You may also want to research historical oppression of these minorities. This is critical to preventing the past from repeating itself in the future.
2: Educate and communicate.
Share what you have learned with both the leaders and the rank and file in your organization. Your role as an informed advocate may also be shared on public platforms such as the company website and social media.
Communication is a two-way street; make efforts to ensure that minority voices are heard in meetings and making decisions.
3: Stand up for inclusiveness.
Simply paying lip service is not enough. You may run into prejudice and conscious or unconscious harassment, and must be prepared for confrontation when necessary. Remember, you have both the team’s productivity and the company’s legal compliance at stake in supporting equal treatment.
- Enact policies for equitable representation.
The HR department will play a significant role in developing fair processes for the promotion as well as the hiring of minority individuals.
The most important take-away in all this is to walk the walk, not just talk the talk. Empty gestures such as posting a message of support on FaceBook won’t fool anyone, and are more likely to backfire in terms of both your public image and your employer brand. It’s only real actions that bring real results.
Integrity is proud to be an LGBTQ-owned company and member of NGLCC.
Our diversity and inclusion processes range from the people we hire to the suppliers we choose to work with. We believe there’s no better way to be an opportunity engine which advances careers, companies and communities.
To learn more about Integrity’s inclusivity programs or for help with diversity hiring, visit integritystaffing.com or call 833-446-1300.
