(PART TWO) Employee Resource Groups: A Safe Space for LGBTQ+ People In The Workplace
In our last post, we discussed the benefits employee resource groups (ERGs) can have across an organization as a whole:
The value that is created when ERGs help to increase employee’s sense of belonging.
The inclusivity that is achieved when an ERG is able to counter an individual’s feelings of being an “only” within an organization.
The opportunities that are expanded when an ERG helps to increase employee satisfaction and productivity.
But the impact that an effective ERG can have on LGBTQ+ employees can be even more profound.
ERGs are useful for ensuring employees within an organization feel acceptance, camaraderie, and fairness in the workplace. But, for LGBTQ+ persons, many are seeking more than a sense of belonging—they are seeking a sense of safety. ERGs are often those safe spaces that make it possible for employees to feel like they can be their authentic selves at work. Joining an organization’s ERG specifically for the LGBTQ+ community & its allies, helps employees to feel safe, to feel seen, and to feel heard.
The Impact of ERGs Beyond the Workplace
In fact, for some people (and more often than not, those in the LGBTQ+ community) their workplace might be the only environment in which they are able to be their authentic selves. For one reason or another, whether due to family dynamics, cultural or religious upbringing, or a non-supportive home environment, many LGBTQ+ people seek more affirming communities outside the home.
Oftentimes, we default to thinking of it in reverse—at home you are with ‘your people’ and so this is where you should be able to be your authentic self. However, for the marginalized, that may simply not be true. Marginalized communities are different in that sometimes their work environment may actually be more safe and affirming than their family environment.
I've spoken to many people who sought out and joined companies because friends told them about the supportive and affirming culture. Those people were seeking an environment that allowed them to be their authentic self—because their family refused to provide that to them. For others, it was through the support of their ERG and work culture that they were finally able to build up the courage to come out to their families at home.
A supportive work culture can help LGBTQ+ people beyond the workplace—allowing them to take risks in revealing their authentic selves, knowing that no matter what, they were safe going to work. They knew that no matter what happens at home, they had a place where they belonged.
Other Advantages of LGBTQ+ ERGs
Of course, the advantages of ERGs for a company, specifically ERGs for the LGBTQ+ community, can extend beyond the more obvious benefits of an increased sense of safety and belonging for employees. In fact, an organization and its leaders can expect to see value not only to an organization’s culture, but to its bottom line, as well, through the following:
Reduced Litigation Risk: LGBTQ+ employees are more likely to notify employee resource group leaders of a possible harassment issue than human resource departments. Having an effective ERG lets employers have quicker insight into a potential problem before it gets any bigger.
LGBT+ Buying Power: Estimated at nearly $1 trillion domestically and $3.7 trillion globally, LGBTQ+ ERGs can help a company to capture this massive market due to the fact that 71 percent of LGBTQ+ folks and 82 percent of allies are more likely to buy from companies that have LGBTQ+-friendly reputations. Additionally, with 20% of Millenials and a whopping 31% of Centennials (GenZ born after 1997) identifying as LGBTQ+, which equates to approximately 13% of the total population, the purchasing power of the marginalized is ballooning. (Schneider and Auten)Recruitment Strategy: It’s been reported that 72 percent of LGBTQ+ allies are more likely to accept a job offer for an LGBTQ+-friendly company, increasing the case for LGBTQ+ inclusion as a business strategy to source and keep top talent. (Dixon-Fyle et al.)
Coming Out At Work —And How A Company’s ERG Made It Easier Possible
Nothing is more powerful in making the case for ERGs than first-hand accounts of how they have directly impacted the lives of those in the LGBTQ+ community.
This powerful story is one that every CEO—every leader—needs to hear. It’s not political. It’s human. It’s about employees seeing a company as a place they WANT to work instead of a job they are doing until something better comes along.
The brave author of this story notes they have been headhunted by about a half a dozen companies over the past year with every one of them paying $10-25K more than they were making at their current employer. But safety and belonging come at a high cost. A cost that most in the LGBTQ+ community are not willing to compromise.
I joined my company in March 2021. I was 49 and had known about my true self for about 6 years. But I kept it bottled up and was not out publicly yet. There are a number of reasons why, but that’s for another day.
Shortly after joining the company, I learned of our Employee Resource Groups (ERGs). Knowing I was part of the LGBTQ+ community, but not feeling yet comfortable with being out, I decided to join the pride-related one as an ally. I had three family members already out of the closet.
I quickly learned that the group was beyond amazing and supportive. They were driving real change in the company for inclusivity and diversity. I was immediately able to help with a project getting new names in systems.
It was then that I realized I could really be myself with a group of people who had a passion for the community. I slowly started to open myself up to some people and quickly realized my Pandora’s box was now opened.
As this happened, bringing my true self to the forefront of my existence brought about another issue —keeping it hidden in places where I wasn’t ready to share. Inside, I was bursting at the seams to come out. But I had a wife, house, kids, extended family, and work to consider.
I spent almost every waking moment aside from work thinking about this. I chatted with people from the ERG, some Facebook groups, etc.. The more I discussed things, the more I wanted to be out of the closet. But that also led me to spending more time self-reflecting and pulling away from my wife and kids.
For nearly six months, my wife would ask what’s wrong and I’d say “I’m fine”. She knew ‘something’ was wrong but didn’t know what. She gave me my space, and I was happy to keep up this charade. But conversations became harder. Spending time together became harder. She was my best friend and partner. Yet, I was hiding the biggest secret of my life from her.
Then, on December 12, 2021, she came to me to ask a question. I was so deep in my own thoughts, I didn’t hear her question. Without receiving a response, she came into the living room where I was to ask again.
My face was pale, my stare was blank. As she asked again what I wanted to do for my 50th birthday in a few weeks, her question still didn’t register. Without any additional thought, my body, on its own, blurted out that I was transgender.
Entirely confused by a comment so out of left field and unrelated to the question being asked, she asked me to repeat it. It was a kind of out of body experience where my body again repeated the phrase, and my brain was screaming “WTF did my mouth just say!?!?!?”
But at last, it was out there. FINALLY! Then came the response of tears and anger and sadness and a barrage of questions. Weeks later, after the same whirlwind of emotions, tears, and questions; I got the answer to the one question I had inside. She wanted to stay together and do this as spouses.
Thirteen months later and we are still in a great place. I’m 10 months on HRT, fully out to everyone and everywhere, and couldn’t be happier. My work has been extraordinary in their support! If it weren’t for that ERG, I’d be terrified to take this leap in my professional life. But I have received exceptional support all around.
In my organization I feel welcome, affirmed, and have great upward mobility. Everyone in leadership is amazing and has helped me along the way. The ERG where I work has people from almost all levels of the company —whether they’re in the community, friends/family of someone who is LGBTQ+, an ally, an advocate, or someone just trying to learn more; the ERG welcomes everyone. Our rules are simple, be respectful, be supportive, and participation is strongly encouraged.
In my life, I took a very proactive approach in coming out and announcing it to people. I did it with leadership and HR approval along with them being on the line with me. I did it in a couple of small group calls. My ask was that if you have questions, ask. If it’s too personal, I may say I’m not ready to answer that. But I wanted people to ask questions to better understand. The other aspect was a requirement to be respectful even if they didn’t agree with my changing life. With my openness, I received great support.
The feeling of inclusion I feel at my company makes me feel like I have a second family. That’s what keeps people like me at a company for a long time. Whether it’s an ERG or something else that creates that sense of feeling welcome, it’s that sense of being part of something bigger than yourself that retains people.
Money is of course a factor. But for people who are subconsciously disenfranchised (i.e.; people of color, Hispanic/Latino employees, Asian Pacific Islanders, LGBTQ+, women, etc), finding others with that common denominator to help you feel like you are not alone in your job goes miles!
I am happier than I’ve ever been, and I got to spend my first whole year getting to become the woman I should have always been. I’m proud. I’m passionate. I’m successful. And I’m finally at peace with my inner self in a way I never knew was possible.
As for what I do— I am a “Program Manager” for a contract services management company. I manage the contracts for the temporary staffing needs of large companies. It’s a very unique kind of work that I stumbled into many years ago and learned that I both like it and am good at it.
I am now a co-chair of that ERG and we’ve more than doubled the membership in the past six months. With almost 80 members, we have people from all corners of the community along with people from other countries! There are allies, family members of people in the community, people seeking information, and much more.
Ready to take the next step?
As a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) consultant with a focus on the LGBTQ+ community, I work with companies every day to help them identify and implement ways to increase their inclusive leadership and allyship in order to make an authentic and sustainable impact on their organization. Through this work, I have been able to help organizations improve their recruitment strategies, increase employee retention, and expand their professional development resources—oftentimes working directly with organization’s employee resource groups (ERGs) to leverage their effectiveness.
In my years working with companies and their ERGs, I have found that the “secret sauce” to changing unhealthy and unsupportive workplace dynamics is to focus on elevating the voices of marginalized employees and creating safety and belonging for all.
Therefore, I have created a participant-centered, interactive, team-based approach to teach inclusive leadership skills and establish workplace safety and belonging by promoting allyship. The powerful transformations that occur when employees feel safe and heard when speaking up for themselves and others is vital to an organization’s success, both culturally and financially. When employees possess the confidence that they are safe, and they are armed with the skills to advocate for their wellbeing, they not only feel better —statistically, they perform better.
Learn more about my services here.