Why LGBT networks are good for business
In April 2016, Open@Work was launched in the Accenture Brussels office in the presence of Belgian Secretary of State for Equal Opportunities, Elke Sleurs. This joint-venture Accenture/BNPP Fortis initiative, in collaboration with KliQ vzw, promotes regular cross-company networking for LGBT employees and LGBT Allies and aims to inspire the creation of similar LGBT networks in other Belgian companies.
Accenture is committed to an inclusive and diverse workplace. The diversity of our people is part of what makes Accenture exceptional and our teams high performing for our clients. Our dedicated Inclusion & Diversity team in Belgium & Luxembourg drives many initiatives to support this commitment, including LGBT. In recent years, this included launching our own Ally Program, sponsoring a Business Lounge with other companies during Brussels Pride and hosting workshop discussions during the Brussels Pride Week. Open@Work is an additional instrument for exchanging best practices on LGBT and Ally networks, and gives interested companies an opportunity to hear inspiring speakers, expand their business networks and attract the best candidates.
If you are interested in joining one of the upcoming Open@Work sessions, please reach out to lgbt.belux@accenture.com
LGBT in the Belgian context
Belgium continuously scores high on LGBT legal rights compared to many other countries. However, the topic of “coming out” at work remains challenging for many LGBT employees in Belgium and a “non-topic” for straight colleagues, who often don’t realize the impact this can have on personal and team performance.
While each employees should be free to choose the degree of openness with their colleagues, feeling obliged to keep certain details about their private life hidden can hinder a real connection with colleagues and result in the perception that the individual is less engaged, motivated, interested in the team and in the job.
Recent figures collected by KliQ vzw show that almost 40% of “out” graduates entering the professional market will go back in the closet, that twice as many LGBT people don’t come out in a professional setting in comparison to their daily life, and almost 10% of LGBT people have felt obstructed in their career at some point due to the revelation of their sexual orientation.
Employer of choice
Many studies point to the importance and the positive impact of being open and out in the workplace. For example, LGBT out professionals (Harris Interactive, 2006) who feel supported by their colleagues and superiors, are reported to be 20% to 30% more productive. They are more open for interaction and they network more often, thus becoming more visible within the company. Because they waste less energy on hiding aspects of their private lives, LGBT out professionals feel more confident and are more engaged in growing the business. Additionally, more than one in four (28%) of LGBT candidates say that their sexual orientation influences their choice of employer, a significant finding in the context of the ongoing “war for talent” (Prof. John Vincke, Vakgroep Sociologie – Universiteit Gent, 2008).
The global LGBT marketing consulting company Out Now, recently published a business case measuring the cost to companies of their LGBT employees not being out at work in relation to the higher likelihood of them leaving the company (replacement cost) and being less engaged (lower productivity). As an illustration, for a US company with 10,000 employees, the saving on recruiting costs of having LGBT employees “out and accepted” can range between 500k$ and 5mln$.
LGBT Allies
LGBT Ally networks play a vital role in fostering an inclusive work environment that supports LGBT colleagues on their professional journey and ensures that company inclusion policies deliver effective and powerful results in the workplace. Accenture’s Global LGBT Ally network is a good example: this dynamic internal platform of understanding helps to empower the professional success of LGBT colleagues. Allies show visible support by wearing LGBT lanyards and online support by having Accenture LGBT badge in their email signatures.
Take part in the Out Now survey to gather insights into the key challenges facing LGBT Allies.
Download the Out Now LGBT Diversity Show Me The Business Case report here.
Read more about Inclusion & Diversity at Accenture.
