Diversity in India Inc.: Here’s why employee resource groups need to take the lead in pushing for LGBT+ inclusion

The diversity imperative has never been higher on the agenda of corporations worldwide. Beyond the social benefits, a diverse workforce brings with it significant business benefits – and corporations worldwide are becoming more attentive to it, as they should be. In their widely acclaimed book “COVID-19: The Great Reset”, Klaus Schwab (founder of the World Economic Forum) and Thierry Malleret add that with “the economic emergency responses to the pandemic now in place, the opportunity can be seized to make the kind of institutional changes and policy choices that will put economies on a new path towards a fairer, greener future”. They go on to say that global youth activism is taking up “issues as diverse as climate change, economic reforms, gender equality, and LGBTQ rights”. It will be “the catalyst for change and a source of critical momentum for the Great Reset”. And we are already witnessing this change globally. 

More companies are signing up to the UN STANDARDS OF CONDUCT FOR BUSINESS - Tackling Discrimination against Lesbian, Gay, Bi, Trans, & Intersex People, UN-Standards-of-Conduct.pdf (unfe.org),  committing thought and action to protecting human rights in the workplace, the market place and community as they expand their focus to building more equitable societies.   

An analysis by Open For Business, a coalition of companies advancing LGBT+ equality, on ‘why fast-growing companies from emerging markets are embracing LGBT+ inclusion’, brought to light some interesting facts. Its analysis showed that “High-potential emerging-market companies which openly support LGBT+ inclusion see stronger brands and better customer orientation”. And that they also have a “higher proportion of international revenues, indicating they can more effectively tap into global markets and supply chains”. 

Among the various dimensions of diversity, the LGBT+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) community is also gaining significant mindshare among Indian enterprises but action on the ground needs to move at a quicker pace. Consider this: Last year, just 105 organizations in India registered to participate in the 2022 India Workplace Equality Index (IWEI), a comprehensive benchmarking exercise for India’s employers to measure their progress on LGBT+ inclusion in the workplace. According to data made public by Statista, as of June 2022, there were over 1.48 million registered companies in India. 

Let’s face it – discrimination persists. In the US, as per an IBM report published last year, “45% of lesbian, gay, and bisexual people say their employer discriminates against people of the same sexual orientation.” According to a McKinsey and Company article, “Three in 20 LGBTQ+ women believe that their sexual orientation will negatively affect their career advancement at work. For LGBTQ+ men, this number is even higher, at six in 20.” Globally, the fight for an inclusive workplace is still work in progress. So how do we advance this important inclusion agenda? 

As per a Deloitte survey titled ‘LGBT+ Inclusion @ Work 2022: A Global Outlook’, about 82% of LGBT+ employees surveyed globally said that ‘allyship’ helps them be out at work. Nearly 42% stated that an ally-supported Employee Resource Group (ERG) is the most critical example of allyship. 

Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) present a fantastic lever to build inclusive cultures in organizations.  Comprising members of the community and their allies, these ERGs inform micro cultures in teams and are a great facilitator of inclusion. They create great peer networks of support and learning in organizations.  

In general, ERGs are literally your barometer of culture and inclusion. In a few organizations, ERGs have been leveraged effectively to create inclusive policies. For instance, one organization leveraged their LGBT+ ERG to craft an inclusive medical insurance policy that addresses the needs of the community or in another case an organization launched an exclusive Toastmasters Club for the ERG to focus on building confidence and public speaking skills. ERGs can also be used effectively as ambassadors of learning and awareness, innovating creative ways to do this through human libraries, publication of employee stories, learning and engagement campaigns, hackathons, challenges and more. One way to accelerate the pace of change is simply track the number of people in your ERGs. A truly engaged workforce will observe a majority of its employees participating in ERGs of their choice, driving change and expanding their influence one action at a time to create inclusion for all. 

Views are personal. The author is Vice President, Head - Diversity and Inclusion, ESG Governance & Reporting, Infosys Ltd