Senior leaders have a powerful opportunity to raise the profile of LGBTQ+ inclusion within both your organisation and sector.
By being vocal allies, they can send a clear message that being LGBTQ+ will not be a barrier to career satisfaction, success and progression at your organisation.
In Stonewall's LGBT in Britain – Work Report (2018) we found that almost one in five LGBTQ+ employees had been the target of negative comments or conduct from work colleagues within the previous year because they’re LGBTQ+. This included being the target of derogatory remarks, experiencing bullying and abuse, and being outed without consent. More than a third of LGBTQ+ people hid or disguised that they are LGBTQ+ at work because they were afraid of discrimination.
Senior leaders play a key role in setting the culture of an organisation by role modelling a zero-tolerance approach to homophobia, biphobia and transphobia in the workplace, and actively celebrating LGBTQ+ identities. They can demonstrate to all employees that inclusion is central to your way of working and should be embedded across all practices.
Many organisations go further by introducing formal LGBTQ+ Senior Champion roles, where leaders have a specific responsibility for leading change. Formalising the role can help you to agree a clear time commitment and continued engagement with your relevant teams and LGBTQ+ employee network group.
By supporting your senior leaders to engage with LGBTQ+ inclusion in your workplace, you will cultivate a more inclusive and welcoming workplace for all.
What is a Senior Champion?
A Senior Champion is a dedicated person in senior management who is formally recognised as a champion for LGBTQ+ issues. Some organisations call these champions ‘senior sponsors’ or ‘executive sponsors’, recognising their role as the LGBTQ+ employee network group’s main liaison with senior management.
Senior Champions may be LGBTQ+ themselves or non-LGBTQ+ allies and may share their personal experiences to support LGBTQ+ inclusion in your workplace. Non-LGBTQ+ Senior Champions can send a clear message that LGBTQ+ inclusion is part of your workplace culture, and that all staff can become active allies.
What are the benefits of dedicated Senior Champions?
Visibility
Visible senior support assures LGBTQ+ colleagues in your workplace and encourages non-LGBTQ+ colleagues to become allies. Externally, this visible support sends an equally important message to customers, clients, service users, potential employees and wider communities that LGBTQ+ people are welcome and valued at your organisation.
Culture setting
Senior Champions play a crucial role in setting an example of the behaviours and cultures that should exist in your organisation. Being active advocates of LGBTQ+ equality demonstrates to all employees that inclusion is central to your organisation’s way of working and can be embedded in all practices.
Decision making
Senior Champions are often best placed to approve important initiatives and influence senior colleagues’ decisions. For example, by signing off a suitable budget for your LGBTQ+ network group or approving the introduction of gender-neutral facilities in your offices. By interacting with your LGBTQ+ network group and attending LGBTQ+ inclusion events, your senior leaders will be more aware of how key decisions can affect LGBTQ+ inclusion in your workplace.
Recognition
Senior Champions can use their platform to celebrate the work of your LGBTQ+ network group. Senior Champions’ active recognition will help raise the network’s profile across all levels of your organisation and encourage managers in supporting LGBTQ+ employees to fully participate. For example, by permitting their teams to attend network meetings and events, or to recognise contributions to LGBTQ+ network activities as part of their performance evaluations.
Melanie Knight - KPMG Partner, KPMG
‘As a proud ally sponsor for KPMG UK’s LGBTQ+ network ‘Breathe’, I’m dedicated to backing our incredible network and furthering LGBTQ+ inclusion inside KPMG and across the sectors we work in. As an LGBTQ+ ally, I use my position to recruit more allies and speak up for those who don’t feel they can. Being a KPMG partner allows me to drive change both within and outside our firm.
To help ensure everyone is on a level playing field, I review the diversity of teams working on client engagements, our promotions as well as what our people tell us in regular people surveys, with a particular focus on the feedback from our LGBTQ+ community. I don't hesitate to question training where I find gaps, and I’ve revised processes to better support our people working overseas, working to keep an LGBTQ+ perspective front and centre.
In my client-facing role, I seize every opportunity to advocate for LGBTQ+ inclusion with our clients. As a result, I’ve established a broader, transport-sector-focused LGBTQ+ network. This marks the onset of a movement to enact change in the sector. I'm proud of the work I do, and I'll continue to advocate for LGBTQ+ people in our workplace and beyond.’