According to the 1,017 LGBTQ+ professionals who responded to the survey, issues brought to HR included a lack of policies that ensure a positive working environment for LGBTQ+ employees, concerns about recruitment processes, and discriminatory behaviour passed off as banter.
The research findings were published yesterday (10 April) by Pride in Leadership, an organisation that aims to connect and support LGBTQ+ business leaders.
Researchers also found that 76% of LGBTQ+ employees had no LGBTQ+ role models in leadership, and that half (50%) had experienced an uncomfortable or hostile work environment.
HR leaders should work to create an environment where LGBTQ+ colleagues feel comfortable coming forward with their concerns, said Claire Ebrey, Pride in Leadership's cofounder.
She told HR magazine: “HR leaders must move beyond performative allyship and ensure that LGBTQ+ inclusion is embedded at every level – not just through policy but in everyday practice. That means creating safe, confident spaces where LGBTQ+ colleagues can raise issues and be believed, and where ‘banter’ isn’t allowed to mask exclusion or harassment.
Read more: LGBTQ+ employees have lower wellbeing at work, report reveals
"To increase LGBTQ+ representation in leadership, we need visible role models, targeted development programmes, and a culture where people don’t have to choose between authenticity and ambition.”
HR consultant David Blackburn echoed this, stating that HR should build workplaces where colleagues can listen and learn from each other.
Speaking to HR magazine, he said: “HR has a responsibility to create psychologically safe spaces for all colleagues to share their stories, question, and listen and learn from each other. We are the solution not the problem. Between us we should be focused on building healthy, inclusive, workplaces where people can speak up and out, be heard, be themselves and get the support that they need. If prevention is better than cure, lets recommit ourselves to getting it right in the first place.
“My concern is the inability to have reasoned rational debate in this space, which I have no doubt informs the anxiety of colleagues and perhaps the reluctance of some HR professionals to confront these challenges. But we have a responsibility to be the informed voice in the room. When we speak up, colleagues see this and feel it.”
Pride in Leadership's report also found that 16% of LGBTQ+ job applicants felt they had missed out on job opportunities because of their sexuality. Half (56%) of respondents felt that being LGBTQ+ had influenced their career choices.
According to Matt Cameron, CEO of advisory firm LGBT Great, the report's findings highlight "a critical need" for HR leaders to cultivate a culture of trust.
He told HR magazine: “By demonstrably prioritising merit-based progression and fostering an environment where LGBTQ+ employees feel safe to be their authentic selves, organisations can unlock improved performance and productivity for LGBTQ+ talent while creating accessible pathways for leadership advancement."
Read more: Four tips on LGBTQ+ inclusion from Stonewall London Workplace Conference
Speaking to HR magazine, Laura Mackay, chief executive of the charity Just Like Us, for LGBTQ+ young people, said that HR should communicate the available policies and procedures in place to support and protect LGBTQ+ colleagues.
She added: “HR must play a critical role in creating a safe workplace environment where LGBTQ+ employees, especially young adults at the beginning of their careers, feel supported and able to be themselves.
“This starts by ensuring that the company has LGBTQ-inclusive policies and procedures, and communicating these to all staff. HR should also make sure LGBTQ+ employees know their rights, and confidential channels they can use to report any bullying or abusive behaviour.
“Part of HR's job in making employees feel supported is making sure they feel heard. Listening to LGBTQ+ people, encouraging feedback, supporting LGBTQ+ staff networks and being open to change is vital.”
Additionally, Mackay advised employers to set up mentoring schemes with senior leaders, in order to encourage more LGBTQ+ people into leadership positions.
Another finding from Pride in Leadership's report was that 61% of employees from trans communities reported having experienced an uncomfortable or hostile work environment. More than half (58%) of disabled employees experienced the same.
HR has a responsibility to make sure that all employees have the opportunity to be heard and to succeed, stated Carolyn Miller, UK head of HR at IT consultancy Capgemini.
She told HR magazine: “Building and nurturing an inclusive environment should be of absolute importance to HR leaders, to ensure everyone has equal opportunity to succeed. Part of this is creating the space for, and encouraging, open conversation about how the workplace can better support community members by, for example, using employee networks for LGBTQ+ individuals and allies, and ensuring that there are communication channels for people of all backgrounds and identities to have their voices heard.”
