In his latest column, Dr. Steve Yacovelli, (a.k.a. “The Gay Leadership Dude”) shares his expertise on submitted workplace questions from members of the LGBTQ+ Community. Have a question? See below!
Hello “Gay Leadership Dude” I’m hoping you can help me. I work for a smaller organization that doesn’t have any real diversity, equity and inclusion efforts (there’s a few things here and there). Some of us want to get resources to bring more formalized DE&I programming to our workplace, specifically get funding for an LGBTQ employee resource group, but need to sell it to our senior leaders. They know this should be a strategic focus, but we need to share the big “why” to them. Any thoughts? ~ ERG Adam & Steve
Wow, ERG A&S, starting an employee resource group can be a daunting but exciting task (and great name, BTW). You are right though; you need to convince your leaders you need some apples to plant the seeds for growth (see what I did there?) and selling them the business case for why inclusion efforts — especially creating employee resource groups — is an important ask.
For context, I think workplaces go down the path of fostering inclusivity on a sort of continuum. On one side is the “being inclusive keeps us out of legal trouble” and “we have to do it” mentality. On the complete opposite side of the continuum is the “it’s the right thing to do for the world” camp. But somewhere in the middle is the concept that “it makes good business sense” or “being inclusive improves our bottom line.” While of course it will make the world — and your workplace — better, I’ve found that approaching the business case for DE&I (diversity equity, and inclusion) and having ERGs (employee resource groups) is a smart starting point, especially if your leadership friends are reluctant to go down the inclusivity road. And, to make that business case, here’s some fun statistics to share with them:
•Did you know that of 1,300 responders to an Addeco (2015) survey of job seekers … 80% said inclusion efforts were an important factor when selecting an employer?
•And, in a Glassdoor study (2021) of both job seekers and currently employed individuals, 76% said a diverse workforce was an important factor when evaluating jobs as well as companies to work or to stay at. And …
•A McKinsey & Company survey (2015) found that 83% of executives believe a diverse workforce improves their companies’ ability to capture and retain a diverse client base.
This data helps us see how current and perspective employees as well as senior leaders see the value in diversity and inclusive efforts. But specifically, what do LGBTQ+ employees think? According to a 2020 study by Boston Consulting Group, 40% of LGBTQ+ employees are closeted at work, and 75% of those surveyed experienced negative day-to-day workplace interactions related to their LGBTQ+ identity in the past year. And those negative touch points are costly: employees who experience more negative touch points are 40% less productive and thirteen times more likely to quit a job. Now combine this with data from a 2017 study by The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) that reported — on average — it costs a company six to nine months of an employee’s salary to replace them; so, for an employee making $60,000 per year, that comes out to $30,000-45,000 in recruiting and training costs to replace that queer employee!
Put all this thru the lens of an incredibly competitive landscape to attract, retain and engage ALL top talent (LGBTQ+ and all others) and a culture where hybrid and remote working opportunities are growing … and you get a VERY compelling reason why companies need to attract, retain, and engage their best talent — LGBTQ+ and others.
One successful way to do just that (attract-retain-engage) is by having ERGs. So, ERG A&S, what are the next steps after you do get the green light to form your LGBTQ+ ERG? It may seem logical but be sure to follow these steps to set up your shiny new ERG for success.
- Check in with your Human Resource friends. You (hopefully!) have already done this, but if not be sure to loop those partners into your ERG plans. In most organizations I’ve worked with, Employee Resource Groups are supported directly either by the HR or Diversity & Inclusion function of the business. Share your thoughts with them and see what support and resources (financial and otherwise) they can provide.
- Define your ERG’s Vision, Mission, Goals, and structure. OK so you formed the group … WHOHOO! … but what’s its point? To serve as a safe space for your queer coworkers? Shape workplace policy and decision-making? Be an internal “subject matter expert” focus group for senior leaders? Plan Pride events? Make sure you’re specifically defining why you exist in the first place and use these goals to define and shape the work you do going forward. Also define how you’re structured: co-chairs or a single leader? Officers and defines roles or more loosely structured? Structure sets the tone for how you get stuff done.
- Who’s your Executive Sponsor? Your ERG needs that senior leader advocating for them. Should they be a member of our Rainbow family? Perhaps (as they may better understand our shared experiences and community), but an awesome ally is a totally perfect executive sponsor, too. The ONLY criteria here should be that the Executive Sponsor be a visible and active sponsor, not just a signature on a piece of paper. No “performative allyship” needed here but someone passionate about LGBTQ+ equality and actively supporting your new ERG’s mission.
- Recruit! Recruit! Recruit! The house is built; time to invite folks in. Let people within your business—and beyond—know you exist. Use Slack, your workplace intranet, or good ol’ fashion email blasts to let people know your ERG is alive and here for them. Also remember that stat above: 40% of LGBTQ+ employees (according to Boston Consulting Group) are not out at work, so be sensitive to those who may be interested but aren’t fully out. Also be sure to be inclusive of awesome allies who want to join as well as any other employee willing to jump into your ERG.
- Add value with programming (beyond June). Partner with other ERGs on co-branded programming (one of the values our LGBTQ+ Community has is our intersectionality, so leverage that). Be sure to measure your efforts so you can share with your Executive Sponsor and other workplace leaders the impact the group is having on the business. And of course, be sure you’re doing programming and events beyond Pride Month.
I’ll end on this point, ERG A&S: you’re taking a great leadership role in establishing your new LGBTQ+ ERG that will not only help foster that sense of belonging with your current co-workers but will make potential new employees see your workplace is striving to be an inclusive and engaging place to work. In addition, in today’s hostile climate toward our LGBTQ+ Community from many state legislatures, creating this safe space can be the catalyst for your workplace to be a vocal ally in these trying times … loud, corporate voices that we need right now to debunk and refute the shenanigans being spouted at the state level. Thank you, and well done, ERG A&S!
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SOURCES: McKinsey & Company (Jan 2015). “Why Diversity Matters.” Adecco. “Diversity in the Workplace”, as cited in https://www.fronetics.com/workplace-diversity-impacts-the-bottom-line/ … Reiners, B. (2021). “57 Diversity in the Workplace Statistics You Should Know.” Built In. Accessed online at https://builtin.com/diversity-inclusion.
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HAVE A QUESTION FOR “THE GAY LEADERSHIP DUDE”? Submit at YourQueerCareer.com. Please note the advice shared is for informational use only; it is not intended to replace or substitute any mental, financial, medical, legal or other professional advice. Full disclosure can be found at the website listed above.
